Statistics at a Glance

A successful food and drink sector is a vital component of a healthy Scottish economy and is classed as a priority industry.

We employ around 44,000 people, 24% of the Scottish manufacturing workforce
Our gross value added to the economy is £3.6bn, 30% of Scottish manufacturing value added
Our industry has a turnover of £10.5bn, accounting for 30% of total Scottish manufacturing
We are Scotland's largest manufacturing sector, accounting for 30% of total manufacturing turnover
95% of our businesses are SMEs
We have 1,080 food and drink manufacturing businesses
In 2017, food and drink exports from Scotland have increased by 10% to £6.4bn
Food and drink manufacturing accounts for around 71% of Scotland's full supply chain turnover & 36% of the number of people it employs
We will need 19,000 new recruits by 2024 to meet the skills need of the sector

Please note, FDF Scotland previously calculated stats on food and soft drink manufacturing; we now use stats for food and drink manufacturing – including alcohol.

Please contact Kirsty Ritchie for more information.

UK Export Statistics

FDF publishes quarterly reports on the food and drink export performance of the UK. Food and Drink exports is one of the great stories for the UK and a great way to highlight the strength of our industry over the last few years.