Coal mines and the steel industry used to be the largest employers and the driving force of economic progress in Yorkshire and the Humber, but since the closure of the mines the region has been in transition to a more diverse economy. Manufacturing is still important in the region and this sector’s output is expected to continue to grow.
Growth sectors in Yorkshire and the Humber are the digital industry, financial services, public services, retail and sustainable technologies. Sheffield is the UK’s hub for games, while Leeds has a large financial and business services sector.
Yorkshire and the Humber

Economy
Total output (GDP), 2020 |
£146 billion |
GDP per head |
£26,667 |
Businesses
Number of businesses, 2020 |
413,500 |
Annual % change in businesses, 2020 |
-2.1% |
Import (2020)
- Value goods from the world: £27.5 billion
- Value goods from the Netherlands: £4.3 billion
- Main partners: Norway, Netherlands, Germany
- Main products: fossil fuels, chemical products, machinery & transport equipment
Export (2020)
- Value goods from the world: £14.6 billion
- Value goods from the Netherlands: £1.4 billion
- Main partners: United States, Netherlands, Germany
- Main products: machinery & transport equipment, chemicals