An aerial photograph of Edinburgh's Princes Street.

A world-class academic offering and bold data-driven agenda lie at the heart of modern Edinburgh’s regional economy. The city has grown 12.5 per cent in the past ten years, excels in data science, cyber security, robotics and stem cell research, and enjoys one of the highest rates of successful business start-ups in the UK. Edinburgh has a resilient knowledge-based economy. Productivity is high, averaging over £70,000 per worker (gross value added), unemployment is the lowest of any major UK city (with a Jobseeker’s Allowance claimant rate of just 1.9% in December 2019), and gross disposable income is the highest outside of London.

– Management Today

Edinburgh has a resilient knowledge-based economy. Productivity is high, averaging over £70,000 per worker (gross value added), unemployment is the lowest of any major UK city (with a Jobseeker’s Allowance claimant rate of just 0.2% in December 2021), and gross disposable income is the highest outside of London. 

Key drivers of growth include the city's highly skilled population (over 50% of working-age residents are graduates)

Edinburgh is an international hub for financial services and technology. The city also benefits from buoyant tourism and a strong higher education sector. 

The city is increasingly focusing on ensuring growth is sustainable and inclusive. Major programmes are underway to ensure that all residents of the city benefit from its success, while the city has set an ambitious goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2030.

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