Gun Trade Insider has meticulously reviewed the recent Value of Shooting 2024 report, extracting the key takeaways. This ground-breaking report highlights the significant contribution our industry makes to the UK economy.
The Value of Shooting 2024 report provides an in-depth analysis of the economic, environmental and social impacts of shooting sports in the UK. Commissioned by a consortium of 24 organisations involved with shooting and the countryside, the report presents comprehensive data from surveys conducted with participants, providers and traders within the shooting community.
Economic impact
Gross Value Added (GVA)
- Shooting contributes £3.3 billion annually to the UK economy in terms of GVA. To put this into perspective, golf, often cited as one of the UK’s most popular leisure activities, has a GVA of £2.6 billion. This highlights the huge impact our sector has on the economy of our nation.
- Shooting supports 67,000 full-time equivalent jobs.
Economic activity
- Shooting generates £9.3 billion in wider economic activity annually, encompassing spending on goods and services, wages and profits.
- Shooters spend £4.4 billion annually on their UK-based supply chain, which includes guns, ammunition, clothing and hospitality.
Employment and supply chain
- Shoot providers spent an estimated £5.7 billion on their UK-based supply chain in 2022, generating almost £1.5 billion in indirect GVA.
- Approximately 550,000 jobs are supported by shoot providers, many of which are voluntary or part-time roles such as beaters and pickers-up.
- The value of voluntary or unpaid support to shooting activities, known as Contribution in Kind (CiK), is estimated at £2.1 billion in 2022.
Overall economic contribution
- Including GVA, employment and the value of CiK, shooting activities generated the equivalent of 173,000 full-time jobs and £9.3 billion of economic activity in the UK in 2022.
Conservation efforts
Habitat management and conservation
- Shooting is associated with habitat management and conservation on 7.6 million hectares of land in the UK, approximately 31 per cent of the country’s rural land.
- Shooting providers and volunteers carry out conservation work valued at £500 million annually, equivalent to 26,000 full-time jobs and 14 million workdays.
- Activities include pest control, woodland management, creation and maintenance of cover crops and feeding songbirds during winter.
Environmental impact
. Two-thirds of shooting providers control pests and predators to protect wildlife.
. Half of the providers manage woodlands and create or maintain cover for game and wildlife.
. Significant efforts are also made in litter picking, conservation area maintenance, hedgerow management and wildlife monitoring.
Participation and social impact
Participation
. 620,000 people are actively involved in shooting-related activities, with 293,000 engaged in game
shooting specifically.
. Target shooting, including clay shooting, full-bore, small-bore, air rifle and pistol shooting, is popular among participants, with 366,000 engaged in clay
target shooting.
. Shooting providers delivered almost 10 million shooting days in 2022, with 57% involving target shooting and 43% involving live quarry shooting.
Health and wellbeing
. Three out of four participants state that shooting is important to their personal wellbeing, providing benefits such as exercise, outdoor activity and
social engagement.
. The majority of participants find shooting personally fulfilling and enjoyable, contributing to their mental health and social cohesion.
. Shooting helps fight loneliness, with three-quarters of respondents indicating they never or hardly ever feel lonely, compared to just over half of the general UK population.
Game meat and food chain
Game meat consumption
. The majority of respondents (83%) consume game meat, with around one-third eating it very occasionally and more than a quarter consuming it regularly.
. In 2022, 95% of game, rabbits and woodpigeon shot entered the UK food chain, generating £59 million in sales.
. Venison accounts for the majority of game meat sales income (59%), followed by other game birds and wildfowl.
Geographical distribution
Regional contributions
. England benefits most from the economic activity generated by shooting, accounting for 89% of the overall impact, with £7.8 billion in economic activity and
130,000 jobs.
. Scotland accounts for nearly 10% of overall activity, generating £760 million in economic impacts and supporting
14,100 jobs.
. Wales contributes 2% to the overall economic impact (£190 million and 3,000 jobs), while Northern Ireland accounts for less than 1% (£50 million and 700 jobs).
Conservation efforts by region
. England accounts for 91% of conservation efforts, with Scotland contributing 5%, Wales 3%, and Northern Ireland 1%.
. The majority of shooting-related conservation work focuses on moorland and woodland, with significant efforts in smaller projects like hedgerow and
pond creation.
Tourism and hospitality
. Participants spent three million nights away while shooting in the UK in 2022, benefiting the accommodation and hospitality sector.
. This travel and tourism expenditure supports 11,000 jobs and generates £330 million in GVA, with an estimated total economic benefit of £800 million.
How do we use this report to benefit the trade?
The Value of Shooting 2024 report not only provides extensive insights into the economic, environmental and social contributions of shooting sports but also has significant implications in the context of the forthcoming general election. Given the substantial economic impact of shooting, contributing £3.3 billion annually in Gross Value Added and supporting 67,000 full-time equivalent jobs, this report can be a powerful tool for advocating against restrictive regulations or potential bans on shooting.
The data demonstrating the industry’s support for £9.3 billion in wider economic activity, extensive supply chains and the employment of approximately 550,000 individuals underscores the integral role of shooting in sustaining local economies and communities. Retailers can use these findings to highlight the potential adverse effects of restrictive policies on employment and economic stability.
Additionally, the report emphasises the environmental stewardship associated with shooting, with habitat management and conservation efforts valued at £500 million annually. This aspect can appeal to environmentally conscious policymakers and the public, showcasing shooting as a contributor to ecological balance and biodiversity.
The social benefits, including improved personal wellbeing, mental health, and social cohesion, further strengthen the argument against restrictive measures. By highlighting the significant participation rates and the role of shooting in combating loneliness and fostering community engagement, stakeholders can advocate for the preservation and support of shooting activities.
In the political context, using this comprehensive data to inform and engage with policymakers, stakeholders and the public can help ensure that the substantial benefits of shooting sports are recognised and considered in policy decisions. This proactive approach can be instrumental in safeguarding the future of shooting sports in the UK, particularly in light of the forthcoming general election.