Strategic export controls: licensing statistics
Source: gov.uk (2025-11-13)

Export control licensing statistics compiled by the Export Control Joint Unit (ECJU).

Statistics on export licensing decisions made by His Majesty’s Government (HMG), submitted to and processed by the Export Control Joint Unit (ECJU), part of the Department for Business and Trade (DBT). Licences are used to control the export of strategic goods.

Official Statistics in Development

Statistics for the reporting periods 2008 Q1 to 2023 Q4 were published as Official Statistics (https://osr.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/policies/official-statistics-policies/official-statistics-policy/). However, these statistics have been reclassified and are being published as Official Statistics in Development (https://osr.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/policies/official-statistics-policies/official-statistics-in-development/) from the 2024 Q1 publication until further notice. For further details, please see the strategic export controls licensing statistics supporting guidance (#guidance) documentation.

Quarterly licensing statistics: latest publication

Visit the strategic export controls licensing statistics: 2025 Q2 (https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/strategic-export-controls-licensing-statistics-1-april-to-30-june-2025) page for the latest quarterly publication.

Quarterly statistics from 2015 Q1 to 2021 Q2 include statistical commentary and outputs in Excel and CSV formats. From 2021 Q3, these formats have been replaced with outputs in Open Document Spreadsheet (ODS) formats.

Country-level statistics are available for each quarter and year from January 2008 onwards.

Quarterly licensing statistics: previous publications

Visit the strategic export controls: quarterly licensing statistics (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/strategic-export-controls-licensing-statistics-quarterly-reports) page for previous quarterly publications.

Country level annual licensing statistics publications from 2008 to 2024

Visit the strategic export controls: annual licensing statistics (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/strategic-export-controls-licensing-data-annual-reports) page for all annual country level publications.

Guidance on strategic export controls licensing statistics

Visit the strategic export controls: guidance collection (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/strategic-export-controls-guidance) for further information on:
- revisions policy
- statement of administrative sources
- quality and methodology report
Related data and statistics

Custom export control licensing data reports

Users can download custom export control licensing data reports through the strategic export controls: reports and statistics (https://www.exportcontroldb.trade.gov.uk/sdb2/fox/sdb/SDBHOME) webpage once registered. The tool offers a variety of filters that can be applied to allow users to download data of specific interest, such as licences which name a certain destination or licences for the shipment of goods with a certain control entry or case summary.

Strategic export controls annual report

The strategic export controls annual report (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/united-kingdom-strategic-export-controls-annual-report) also presents export control licensing data. Furthermore, the report presents similar data on issued, refused or rejected licenses, as well as revoked elicences, plus processing times. It also presents information on refusal criteria counts and information on appeals (against refusals and rejections).

UK defence and security exports statistics

UK Defence and Security Exports (UKDSE) publish UK defence and security exports statistics (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/uk-defence-and-security-exports-statistics). Like the strategic export controls licensing statistics, these do not represent actual exports. Sales may or may not be actually made and new orders may or may not be fulfilled.

In addition to providing detail about the types of goods licensed for export, the strategic export control licensing statistics also give information on end user destinations, the value of licensed goods, and they present a picture of usage. For example, whether the goods are licensed for permanent export, are to be returned (temporary), are being incorporated and forwarded on, or if the goods are merely passing through the UK in transit to another destination (transhipments). However, the UKDSE statistics do not provide this same level of detail.

Management information release on Israel export licensing

Given the exceptional circumstances, and the significant Parliamentary and public interest, DBT has published a series of ad hoc management information releases (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/export-control-licensing-management-information-for-israel) to provide more current information about Israel export licensing.

The releases include:
- the number of extant licences where Israel was included as a destination as at the date of each update
- the number of licences currently in progress where Israel was included as a destination as at the date of each update
- the number of licensing decisions where Israel was included as a destination between 7 October 2023 and the date of each update
These ad hoc management information releases should not be considered to be part of the strategic export controls licensing statistics as they have not been produced in the same manner. The Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR) publish guidance on understanding the difference between Official Statistics and published Management Information (https://osr.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/publication/understanding-the-difference-between-official-statistics-and-published-management-information/pages/2/). The ad hoc management information releases provide details on the main differences between this release and the strategic export controls licensing statistics release.

Contact xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx) if you have any queries.