Broad Economy Sales and Exports Statistics 2018: Goods and Services Results

Date published: 12 March 2020

Topics: NI Economic Trade, EU Exit Analysis, EU Exit - Trade Analysis

The BESES is an experimental annual measure of local businesses’ sales to markets outside Northern Ireland.

In December 2019 NISRA published its Broad Economy Sales and Exports Statistics (BESES) results relating to local businesses’ sales in 2018 to markets outside Northern Ireland. The latest publication provides further disaggregation of these results into the value of goods and services sold.

Northern Ireland Broad Economy Sales and Exports Statistics: Goods and Services Results 2018 - published 12 March 2020.

Key findings

Total sales by companies in Northern Ireland (NI) were estimated to be worth £68.4 billion in 2018, an increase of 3.5% (£2.3 billion) over the year.
Total sales of goods were estimated to be worth £46.3 billion in 2018, an increase of 1.1% (£0.5 billion) over the year.
Sales of services represented 32.3% of total sales in 2018 and were estimated to be worth £22.1 billion. Sales of services increased by 8.7% over the year (£1.8 billion).
External sales to markets outside of NI fell by £0.2 billion (1.1%) to £21.7 billion in 2018.
External sales of goods by NI companies were estimated to be worth £15.2 billion in 2018, 70.0% of all external sales. This represents a decrease of 6.6% over the year (£1.1 billion). This was driven by a continuing decline in the Food, Beverages and Tobacco sub sector.
External sales of services were estimated to be worth £6.5 billion or 30.0% of all external sales in 2018. This represents an increase of 14.7% (£0.8 billion) over the year.
Exports (sales outside the UK) were estimated to be worth £11.2 billion in 2018, an increase of 8.1% (£0.8 billion) over the year.
Exports of goods were estimated to be worth £8.7 billion in 2018, an increase of 5.8% (£0.5 billion). Exports of goods represented 77.6% of all exports sales.
Exports of services represented 22.4% of total export sales in 2018 and were estimated to be worth £2.5 billion. Exports of services increased by 16.8% (£0.4 billion) over the year.
Full report available here