Economy and industry of Devon
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Devon is a county in South West England. Like neighbouring Cornwall to the west, Devon is disadvantaged economically compared to other parts of southern England, due to the decline of traditional industries such as fishing, mining and farming. Consequently, most of Devon has qualified for the European Community Objective 2 status. The 2001 Foot and Mouth (Hoof and Mouth) disease outbreak harmed the farming community severely.
The attractive lifestyle of the area is drawing in new industries which are not heavily dependent upon geographical location; Dartmoor, for instance, has recently seen a significant rise in the percentage of its inhabitants involved in the financial services sector. In 2003, the Met Office, the UK's national and international weather service, moved to Exeter.
Devon is one of the rural counties, with the advantages and problems characteristic of these. Despite this, the county's economy is also heavily influenced by its two main urban centres, Plymouth and Exeter.
[edit] Statistics
This is a chart of trend of regional gross value added of Devon at current basic prices published (pp.240-253) by Office for National Statistics with figures in millions of pounds.[1]
| Year | Regional Gross Value Added | Agriculture | Industry | Services< |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 6,163 | 391 | 1,746 | 4,027 |
| 2000 | 7,497 | 286 | 1,813 | 5,398 |
| 2003 | 8,670 | 325 | 1,853 | 6,492 |
