Great Britain is the poorest country in the northwest

Figures for 2021 show that the UK’s GDP per capita is currently just £31,038. France (£32,622) and Finland (£34,187) were also low in the rankings.

The highest GDP in Northwest Europe is currently in Luxembourg (£80,000), Ireland (£65,411) and Switzerland (£50,015).

The Scottish National Party (SNP) used these figures to highlight why Scotland would be better off moving away from Britain.

Westminster SNP Vice President Kirsten Oswald noted that “evidence shows that independent countries the size of Scotland and smaller do better than the UK”.

“It is becoming increasingly clear that independence is the only way to unlock Scotland’s full economic potential – so that we can be as rich and successful as our European neighbours,” Oswald said.

IMF data also indicates that the wealth gap between the UK and its closest European neighbors has widened over the past 20 years.

The UK’s GDP was less than that of the rest of Northwest Europe by about £5,000 in 2000 (7.6 per cent below average). The gap rose to around £10,000 in 2021 (16.3% below average).

Boris Johnson promised that Brexit would lead to “national renewal” and increase economic opportunities for Britain around the world. However, a recent analysis by The Independent of the UK’s GDP showed that the damage caused by Brexit equates to a loss of between £400m and £800m a week.