Scotch whisky brought £7.1billion into the UK economy in 2022, a report has revealed.

The Scotch Whisky Association said whisky’s contribution to the economy in that year had increased by 29% since 2018.

The industry is worth £5.3billion to Scotland alone, equating to around 3% of Gross Value Added – its contribution to the economy. The drink amounted to 77% of Scotland’s food and drink exports as well as 26% for the UK overall.

Mark Kent, SWA head, said the report “has again proven its economic significance to the UK”. He added: “The past five years have been turbulent for our sector as we faced retaliatory tariffs in the United States, in addition to the global pandemic and the knock-on economic pressures.

“The Scotch whisky industry has remained resilient with capital investment directed towards fulfilling our collective sustainability ambitions, creating world-class visitor attractions and building more distilleries that will help boost jobs and growth.