Kent Key Facts
- Kent is the UK's most populous county - 1.6 million people.
- It has a workforce of over 780,000 and unemployment of 2% (August 2007).
- Kent's GVA per head is £12,973 (2004).
- Although Kent is on London's doorstep, property and labour costs are considerably lower - up to 60% - than the capital.
- Kent is home to many world class companies such as Pfizer, Saga, Kimberly-Clark, BAE Systems, Royal Bank of Scotland and GlaxoSmithKline.
- Kent has over 1000 miles² of glorious countryside and 360 miles of unspoilt coastline to explore, and more historic homes and castles than any other county.
- Kent has 67 golf courses, and Bluewater shopping mall – the largest in Europe.
- Fast motorway access to London (60 mins) London Heathrow (73 mins), London Gatwick (47 mins), London Stansted (71 mins) from the centre of Kent.
- Home to Kent International Airport which is Kent's developing international freight and passenger airport.
- Mainland Europe is 35 minutes away via Eurotunnel's car and freight shuttles.
- From November 2007, high speed rail services are running from Ebbsfleet International to many European cities. Travel times from Ebbsfleet are Lille - 70 minutes, Brussels - 101 minutes and Paris - 125 minutes.
From 2009, high speed domestic rail services between Kent and London will considerably reduce travel times from a number of locations across the county. London St Pancras will only be 17 minutes from Kent's Ebbsfleet International Station and 37 minutes from Ashford International Station.
- The county has seven freight and passenger ports.
- Kent's five universities (Kent, Greenwich, Canterbury Christ Church University, Imperial College London, Wye and University College for the Creative Arts) are home to over 32,000 students.
- Positioned between the markets of London and Europe, Kent is the closest UK location to continental Europe, offering access to over 530 million consumers.
- A wide range of cost effective commercial and residential property is available in Kent which has more developable land than any other area in the South East of England.
