In 2024, the UK increased wine imports by a volume of 2.4 %, but reduced 3.7 %, according to British customs data. The total value of wine imports amounted to 3.909.8 million pounds, equivalent to about 4.725.1 million euros, with a total volume of 1.262.5 million liters. The average price per liter was 3.10 pounds, or 3.75 euros. The UK has ended as the second largest importer of wine in the world, in the wake of the United States in value and Germany in size. This value is the third higher in the historical series. The volume of imports increased compared to 2023, which is a year that has noticed the numbers in particular. The average price remained above 3 pounds per liter.
The UK witnessed a rise in wholesale wine imports while reducing these packed wine in bottles. The imported wine imports increased in size but decreased in the value, against the direction of wine in the box bag (BIB). Wholesale wine imports increased by 11.8 % in value and 7.2 % in size, while the imported wine imports decreased by 6.6 % in size and 0.7 % in size. Flash wine imports grew by 2.3 % in size, but decreased by 4.2 % in value, while BIB wine imports increased by 1.7 %, but decreased by 6.9 % in size. Wine packed in bottles of 2.320.1 million pounds and 602.7 million liters, which represents 59 % of spending and 48 % of the total volume of wine imported by the United Kingdom last year.
France and Italy remained the main suppliers, as it led France in value and Italy in size. It is worth noting that there is a significant increase in UK imports of Chilean wine. In 2024, the UK imported wine from 66 worldwide resources. In terms of value, the purchases were concentrated significantly in France, with 1.417.6 million pounds, a decrease of 7.6 %, and Italy, with 940.5 million pounds, with a slight increase of 0.4 %. Together, these countries made up 60 % of the expenses of importing wine in the UK. In size, Italy was the main resource, with 304.5 million liters, an increase of 3 %, which made up 24 % of total imports. Australia followed 185.8 million liters, a decrease of 0.8 %, and France with 174.6 million liters, an increase of 0.4 %.
Spain occupied the third largest supplier of wine in the UK in value, with a value of 340.7 million pounds, a decrease of 4.3 %, and the fourth in size, with 135.5 million liters, a decrease of 4.4 %. In general, the United Kingdom reduced wine imports from Spain by 15.4 million pounds and 6.3 million liters in 2024. Chilean wine imports to the United Kingdom showed strong performance, increasing by 10 % to 179.7 million pounds and 16.6 % in size to 117 million liters. Chile remained the sixth largest resource in value and five in size. The UK also witnessed increases in wine imports from the United States, with an increase of 0.1 % and 7.5 % in size, and South Africa, an increase of 0.6 % in size and 0.7 % in size.
New Zealand witnessed a 10 % decrease in value, as it decreased to 248.8 million pounds, but an increase in size by 7 %, as it reached 75.4 million liters, as its average price decreased by 16 % to 3.30 pounds per liter. France and Italy remained the main suppliers of the UK's wine in 2024. The UK reduced its spending on wine in bottles by 6.5 % to 903 million pounds and maintained a stable spending on the wine packed in Italian bottles at a price of 447 million pounds. In size, the UK increased imports of packed wine in Italian bottles by 2.6 % to 157 million liters and wine packed in French bottles by 6.3 % to 143 million liters. Spain was the third largest supplier for the UK wine, both of them in value, with a value of 271.5 million pounds, a decrease of 4.4 %, and in size, with 91.6 million liters, a decrease of 4 %.
New Zealand's performance was significantly weak in 2024, maintaining fourth place in value with a 31 % decrease, but in seventh place in size with a decrease of 28 %, surpassing South Africa and Australia. France, Italy and Spain were the main suppliers of sparkling wine in the United Kingdom, as Italian sparkling wine accounted for growth in 2024. Italy, France and Spain formed 98.5 % of the imports of sparkling wine in the United Kingdom. Among them, Italy only showed positive growth, with a value increased by 1.3 % and an increase of 5.8 % in size, while maintaining its progress in size with 124.6 million liters. France followed 25.3 million liters, a decrease of 3.8 %, and Spain with 14.3 million liters, by 11.3 %. France led 493.9 million pounds, representing 48.5 % of the total spending, a decrease of 8.8 % from 2023. Italy followed 462.4 million pounds, an increase of 1.3 %, and Spain with 46.1 million pounds, by 5 %.
Italy was the main supplier of Marsi wine to the United Kingdom, as it represents 40 % of the value and 49 % of the total size in 2024. Italy provided 17.2 million pounds, an increase of 2 %, about 11 million liters, an increase of 0.4 %. France followed the value with a 16 % increase, Spain in size with a decrease of 4.4 %. Australia has witnessed a significant decrease, about 58 % in both value and size, while South Africa, Chile and New Zealand witnessed increases. Australia remained the top of the wholesale wine to the United Kingdom, with an excellent year for loose wine in New Zealand. The six suppliers of the UK wine from the new world were with the plains of the limited importance of European suppliers, as Spain was the first of them in seventh place. Australia maintained its progress by 154.2 million liters, an increase of 1.6 %, and 136.5 million pounds, an increase of 8 %. Loching wine imports in the UK showed the best performance in 2024, with 12 % increase and 7 % increase in size. New Zealand witnessed a remarkable increase by 55 %, as it was the fifth rank. Spain was the seventh largest wine resource to the United Kingdom, reaching 15.7 million pounds, an increase of 3 % and 22.9 million liters, by 1.7 %.
