According to the right-wing U.K. think tank the Institute of Economic Affairs, "Most Brits think the U.K. ranks 7th wealthiest vs. U.S. states. World Bank figures for 2024 put U.K. GDP per capita, adjusted for purchasing power, at about $62,000. The motive that animated Brexit, according to Menon, was that "Britain would go out and become a buccaneering, free-trading country. Phase 1 alone was estimated in 2012 at £20.5 billion ($26.2 billion) in 2019 prices; by January 2024, that had become £49 billion to £56.6 billion ($62.3 billion to $71.9 billion), before even counting every wider headache. Official British Film Institute figures show film and high-end television production spend in the U.K. reached £6.8 billion ($9 billion) in 2025.