Why financial services matter

Financial services make our world go round. Without them, many of the day-to-day conveniences that we take for granted - ATMs, telephone and online banking and internet shopping for example - simply wouldn't exist. You might even be one of the more than a million people who work in the industry right across the UK. Take look at our Key facts about UK financial services report or view our video below to see how crucial the financial and related professional services industry is to the UK economy.

Then there's the less visible side of the industry; the funding that businesses rely on, the framework that keeps foreign trade working. Almost every item we buy, everything we eat, everything we wear, every device we use has found its way into our shops and supermarkets as a result of manufacturing, trading and transport systems made possible with the support of financial services.

You can learn more about the financial services industry's role in supporting the UK economy and meeting global challenges in our report How financial services make our world go round. You can also view a real life example of the role financial services plays in the production of chocolate.