SNP says Scots would earn £5,100 more per person if EU membership continued

According to data from the Scottish Parliament Information Centre, Scotland’s GDP per capita in 2025 would have been about 13% higher - translating to roughly £5,100 more for each Scot - had the country stayed in the European Union and kept pace with EU growth since 2014. By contrast, the rest of the United Kingdom would have experienced an increase of about £3,600 per person, or 8%. The SNP presented the analysis as strengthening the economic rationale for an independent Scotland that would re-enter the EU, aligning with a separate study by Stanford professor Nick Bloom that linked Brexit to an 8% reduction in UK GDP.

SNP depute leader Keith Brown argued the numbers demonstrate “momentum” behind Scotland’s right to choose its future, while Scottish Labour and Prime Minister Andy Burnham also affirmed the principle of a Scottish decision, though Burnham said a second referendum remains “off limits”. The Scottish Government maintains that an independent Scotland would seek EU membership promptly after any break-away.