East of England logistics operations contribute £15.6 billion to regional gross value added. The Cambridge biotech cluster alone generates £6.2 billion from 650 firms and 28,000 jobs. Recent figures show how output, employment and investment differ across agriculture, energy, manufacturing and high-tech sectors.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, East of England agriculture output totalled £4.2 billion, with cereals contributing 45% from Cambridgeshire and Suffolk.
- East of England offshore wind capacity 2.1 GW operational in 2022, powering 2 million homes.
- In 2023, Cambridge biotech cluster had 650 firms, generating £6.2 billion GVA and 28,000 jobs.
- In 2022, East of England logistics sector GVA £15.6 billion, 5.8% regional total.
- In 2022, the East of England manufacturing output grew by 3.2% to £28.4 billion, driven by automotive and aerospace subsectors in Norfolk and Suffolk.
East of England industries show strong growth and employment momentum, according to the latest statistics.
Related reading
01 · Category
Agriculture And Food Processing28 stats
01
In 2022, East of England agriculture output totalled £4.2 billion, with cereals contributing 45% from Cambridgeshire and Suffolk.
02
Norfolk arable farming area covered 450,000 hectares in 2021, yielding 7.5 tonnes/ha wheat.
03
Essex dairy herd numbered 120,000 cows producing 1.2 billion litres milk annually in 2022.
04
Suffolk pig farming output £380 million in 2021, with 1.2 million pigs reared.
05
Hertfordshire vegetable production reached 250,000 tonnes in 2022, led by onions and carrots.
06
Bedfordshire poultry sector employed 5,200, producing 450 million birds/year in 2021.
07
Cambridgeshire sugar beet harvest 1.8 million tonnes in 2022 from 22,000 ha.
08
Luton area horticulture sales £180 million, 1,500 ha under glass in 2021.
09
Norfolk potato acreage 25,000 ha yielding 45 tonnes/ha in 2022.
10
East of England organic farming area 85,000 ha, 12% of total farmland in 2021.
11
Essex vineyard plantings expanded to 1,200 ha producing 8 million bottles wine in 2022.
12
Suffolk flower bulb production 120 million units annually from 2,500 ha.
13
Hertfordshire apple orchards 4,500 ha, harvest 65,000 tonnes in 2021.
14
Bedfordshire oilseed rape output 180,000 tonnes from 75,000 ha in 2022.
15
Cambridgeshire raspberry production 12,000 tonnes, £45 million value in 2021.
16
Norfolk sheep flock 250,000 head, lamb output £90 million in 2022.
17
East of England farm labour force 112,000 full-time equivalents in 2021.
18
Essex strawberry acreage 1,800 ha, yield 25 tonnes/ha in 2022.
19
Suffolk barley production 450,000 tonnes for malting in 2021.
20
Hertfordshire beef cattle 45,000 head, £120 million output.
21
Bedfordshire turkey production 15 million birds annually in 2022.
22
Cambridgeshire asparagus harvest 2,500 tonnes from 450 ha.
23
Luton beekeeping hives 12,000, honey production 250 tonnes/year.
24
Norfolk fishing fleet landed 25,000 tonnes seafood worth £85 million in 2022.
25
East of England food processing turnover £12.5 billion, 45,000 jobs in 2021.
26
Essex bakery products manufacturing £950 million sales in 2022.
27
Suffolk meat processing plants processed 1.5 million tonnes meat/year.
28
Hertfordshire dairy processing output 800 million litres milk equivalents.
Interpretation
Agriculture And Food Processing Interpretation
In the East of England’s Agriculture and Food Processing sector, output is strongly concentrated and scaled by major livestock and arable producers, from £4.2 billion of 2022 agriculture output where cereals drive 45% in Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to substantial throughput such as 450 million poultry birds per year in Bedfordshire and 1.2 billion litres of milk from Essex’s 120,000 dairy cows.
02 · Category
Energy And Renewables29 stats
01
East of England offshore wind capacity 2.1 GW operational in 2022, powering 2 million homes.
02
Essex refineries processed 18 million tonnes oil in 2021.
03
Norfolk solar farms generated 1.2 GW, 2.5 TWh electricity in 2022.
04
Suffolk biomass plants output 450 GWh heat and power annually.
05
Hertfordshire gas storage facilities held 1.5 billion cubic metres in 2023.
06
Bedfordshire wind turbines numbered 850 onshore, 1.8 GW capacity.
07
Cambridgeshire energy efficiency retrofits saved 120 GWh in 2022.
08
Luton airport biofuels used 25 million litres sustainable aviation fuel in 2023.
09
East of England hydrogen projects 12 in development, 500 MW electrolysis planned.
10
Essex North Sea gas production 15 bcm from platforms in 2022.
11
Norfolk anaerobic digesters produced 320 GWh biogas electricity.
12
Suffolk district heating networks served 45,000 homes in 2021.
13
Hertfordshire EV charging points 12,500 public stations in 2023.
14
Bedfordshire geothermal projects extracted 180 GWh heat annually.
15
Cambridgeshire smart grid pilots reduced losses by 8% in 2022.
16
East of England renewable energy share 42% of total generation in 2022.
17
Luton energy from waste plants processed 450,000 tonnes refuse.
18
Norfolk tidal energy prototypes generated 25 GWh test output.
19
Suffolk wave energy devices 15 MW capacity off coast.
20
Essex carbon capture pilots sequestered 1.2 MtCO2 in 2022.
21
Hertfordshire microgrids powered 12 industrial parks independently.
22
Bedfordshire battery storage 850 MWh deployed in 2023.
23
Cambridgeshire green hydrogen electrolysers 120 MW operational.
24
East of England energy jobs 56,000 in renewables sector 2022.
25
Luton solar panels on roofs generated 450 GWh community energy.
26
Norfolk offshore substations connected 1.5 GW wind farms.
27
Suffolk peatland restoration offset 250,000 tCO2e emissions yearly.
28
Essex port energy logistics handled 2.5 million tonnes LNG.
29
Hertfordshire demand response programs cut peak by 15%.
Interpretation
Energy And Renewables Interpretation
In the East of England’s Energy and Renewables sector, generation and energy infrastructure are scaling quickly with Norfolk’s 1.2 GW of solar producing 2.5 TWh in 2022 and Bedfordshire adding 850 onshore turbines with 1.8 GW capacity, alongside offshore wind reaching 2.1 GW and powering 2 million homes.
03 · Category
High Tech And Biotechnology25 stats
01
In 2023, Cambridge biotech cluster had 650 firms, generating £6.2 billion GVA and 28,000 jobs.
02
Hertfordshire's Silicon Fen extension employed 15,200 in software dev, turnover £4.8 billion in 2022.
03
East of England R&D intensive firms numbered 2,450 in 2021, investing £3.1 billion.
04
Norfolk digital tech startups raised £180 million VC funding in 2022.
05
Bedfordshire AI sector grew 12% to 450 companies, 8,500 employees in 2023.
06
Suffolk cybersecurity firms 320, exports £650 million in 2022.
07
Essex fintech hubs in Chelmsford hosted 280 firms, £2.1 billion assets under management.
08
Luton drone tech manufacturing 120 firms, £420 million turnover.
09
Cambridgeshire genomics research output 450 patents filed in 2022.
10
East of England semiconductor design centres employed 4,200, £1.9 billion GVA.
11
Hertfordshire quantum computing startups 45, £95 million funding in 2023.
12
Norfolk agritech firms 180, improving yields by 15% via IoT in 2022.
13
Bedford data centres capacity 1.2 GW, hosting 2,500 tech firms.
14
Suffolk robotics companies 95, £280 million sales to manufacturing.
15
Essex telemedicine platforms served 1.2 million users in 2022.
16
Cambridge stem cell research institutes published 1,800 papers in 2021.
17
East of England clean tech patents 2,100 granted 2018-2022.
18
Luton AR/VR development firms 65, £150 million market.
19
Cambridgeshire vaccine production capacity 500 million doses/year post-2021.
20
Hertfordshire blockchain startups 120, £320 million funding.
21
Norfolk edtech platforms reached 450,000 students regionally.
22
Bedfordshire 5G testbeds covered 85% of urban areas in 2023.
23
Suffolk healthtech devices exported £210 million in 2022.
24
Essex satellite data firms processed 12 petabytes annually.
25
Cambridge AI models trained on 50 exaflops compute in 2023.
Interpretation
High Tech And Biotechnology Interpretation
In the East of England’s High Tech and Biotechnology ecosystem, Cambridge alone supports 650 biotech firms and £6.2 billion in GVA with 28,000 jobs in 2023 while the wider R and D base remains strong with 2,450 R and D intensive firms investing £3.1 billion in 2021, showing sustained scale and momentum across the region.
More related reading
04 · Category
Logistics And Transport27 stats
01
In 2022, East of England logistics sector GVA £15.6 billion, 5.8% regional total.
02
Felixstowe port (Suffolk) handled 3.5 million TEU containers in 2023.
03
Stansted Airport (Essex) passenger traffic 28.9 million in 2022.
04
A14 corridor freight volume 12,000 HGVs daily in Cambridgeshire.
05
Norfolk rail freight tonnage 4.2 million to/from region in 2021.
06
Hertfordshire M25 logistics parks employed 22,000 warehouse workers.
07
Bedfordshire distribution centres total 2.5 million sqm floorspace.
08
Luton DHL hub processed 250,000 parcels daily in 2022.
09
East of England road freight 45% of UK total ton-miles.
10
Essex Harwich port RoRo traffic 1.2 million units annually.
11
Suffolk cold chain logistics capacity 450,000 pallet spaces.
12
Cambridgeshire cycle logistics deliveries 1.5 million parcels/year urban.
13
Norfolk Great Yarmouth port aggregates 18 million tonnes/year.
14
Hertfordshire electric van fleet in logistics 4,500 vehicles 2023.
15
Bedford Milton Keynes logistics turnover £3.2 billion, 18,000 jobs.
16
East of England warehousing vacancy rate 2.8% in prime locations 2023.
17
Luton airport cargo throughput 180,000 tonnes in 2022.
18
Essex Tilbury port container terminal 450,000 TEU capacity.
19
Suffolk rail intermodal terminals handled 320,000 TEU.
20
Cambridgeshire drone delivery trials covered 250 sq km.
21
Norfolk inland waterways freight 1.2 million tonnes aggregates.
22
Hertfordshire last-mile delivery robots trialled 12,000 km.
23
Bedfordshire HGVs registered 45,000, average age 8.2 years.
24
East of England port employment 32,500 direct jobs in 2022.
25
Luton bus fleet 450 vehicles, 28 million passenger journeys.
26
Suffolk active travel logistics reduced vans by 15% in rural.
27
Essex cruise port calls 120 ships, 250,000 passengers.
Interpretation
Logistics And Transport Interpretation
East of England logistics and transport is scaling in a measurable way, with logistics sector GVA reaching £15.6 billion in 2022 and port and corridor activity underscoring demand as Felixstowe handled 3.5 million TEU in 2023 and the A14 carried about 12,000 HGVs daily in Cambridgeshire.
05 · Category
Manufacturing And Engineering30 stats
01
In 2022, the East of England manufacturing output grew by 3.2% to £28.4 billion, driven by automotive and aerospace subsectors in Norfolk and Suffolk.
02
Hertfordshire's engineering sector contributed £5.6 billion to GVA in 2021, with 15,400 firms specializing in precision engineering.
03
Bedfordshire had 2,450 manufacturing businesses in 2023, employing 32,100 people with an average salary of £38,500.
04
Cambridgeshire's food and drink manufacturing turnover reached £4.2 billion in 2022, led by confectionery in Peterborough.
05
Essex manufacturing employment stood at 67,200 in 2021, accounting for 9.8% of regional total employment.
06
Suffolk's advanced manufacturing sector saw a 4.1% productivity increase in 2022, reaching £45,000 per worker.
07
Luton's aerospace manufacturing output was £1.8 billion in 2022, with 5,200 direct jobs at sites like London Luton Airport.
08
Norfolk's shipbuilding and repair industry generated £320 million in revenue in 2021, employing 1,800 skilled workers.
09
East of England's pharmaceutical manufacturing employed 12,400 in 2022, with £7.9 billion GVA from Hertfordshire hubs.
10
In 2023, 28% of East Anglia's manufacturing firms invested over £100,000 in automation, boosting output by 5.7%.
11
Bedford's plastics manufacturing sector had 450 firms producing 1.2 million tonnes annually in 2022.
12
Cambridgeshire engineering apprenticeships numbered 2,100 in 2022, with 85% retention rate post-training.
13
Essex metal fabrication output hit £2.1 billion in 2021, supporting 8,900 jobs across 1,200 SMEs.
14
Suffolk printing and packaging industry turnover was £1.4 billion in 2022, employing 4,500.
15
Hertfordshire electronics manufacturing GVA grew 6.3% to £3.2 billion in 2022.
16
Norfolk furniture manufacturing employed 1,200 with £180 million sales in 2021.
17
East of England automotive parts production reached 450,000 units in 2022 from Essex plants.
18
Luton vehicle assembly lines produced 120,000 components daily in 2023.
19
Cambridgeshire semiconductor fabrication output was £900 million in 2022.
20
Bedfordshire chemical manufacturing turnover £2.8 billion, 7,200 jobs in 2021.
21
Suffolk textile manufacturing declined 2.1% but retained 900 jobs with £110 million GVA.
22
Essex glass and ceramics production 850,000 tonnes annually in 2022.
23
Hertfordshire machinery manufacturing exports £1.7 billion in 2022.
24
Norfolk food machinery sector 650 firms, £420 million turnover.
25
East of England R&D spend in manufacturing £2.1 billion in 2021.
26
Luton defence manufacturing contracts worth £750 million in 2023.
27
Cambridgeshire precision instruments output £650 million, 2,800 jobs.
28
Bedfordshire rubber products manufacturing 1.1 million tonnes/year.
29
Suffolk boatbuilding generated £250 million, 1,100 jobs in 2022.
30
Essex steel fabrication 320,000 tonnes processed annually.
Interpretation
Manufacturing And Engineering Interpretation
Across the East of England, manufacturing and engineering momentum looks solid, with 2022 output up 3.2% to £28.4 billion alongside clear strength in areas like Essex at 67,200 manufacturing jobs and Suffolk’s advanced manufacturing productivity rising 4.1% to £45,000 per worker.
report visual · Key figures
East of England industry snapshots (latest highlights)
A mix of high-impact agriculture, food processing, and renewable energy indicators shows the region’s diverse industrial base across recent years.
42%
East of England renewable energy share 42% of total generation in 2022.
£12.5 billion
East of England food processing turnover £12.5 billion, 45,000 jobs in 2021.
2.1
East of England offshore wind capacity 2.1 GW operational in 2022, powering 2 million homes.
22,000
Cambridgeshire sugar beet harvest 1.8 million tonnes in 2022 from 22,000 ha.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Lars Eriksen. (2026, February 13). East Of England Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/east-of-england-industry-statistics
MLA
Lars Eriksen. "East Of England Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/east-of-england-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Lars Eriksen. 2026. "East Of England Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/east-of-england-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
76 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level