Brexit in numbers: a year on, these are the statistics behind Britain leaving the EU

A year ago today, Britons were called upon to determine the future of the country in Europe with a tick in a box.

Voters pulled all-nighters, waiting on tenterhooks to hear the result of one of the most important decisions of a lifetime.

Friendships were lost, political rants thundered onto our timelines in quick succession and more than a few generational debates ensued about the economic implications of Brexiting.

Britain has been through a lot since then: a tight leadership contest resulting in a new Prime Minister, the triggering of Article 50 and an election gamble.

Now that negations are underway, The EU and Britain will spend the next two years thrashing out key issues surrounding the leave, including citizens’ rights, Britain’s exit bill and the Irish border.

Clearly, there's a lot of break-up baggage to get through. But before we divide our record collection and leave our keys on the kitchen counter, we've crunched the big numbers behind the big Brexit...

1: The number of times Article 50 has been used since it was created in 2009.

1.8: The percentage growth of the UK economy in 2016, despite predictions of early post-Brexit downturn.

2: The time in years it will take for final divorce proceedings to be completed.

6: The number of pages in the Article 50 letter handed by Britain’s EU ambassador Sir Tim Barrow, to Donald Tusk, President of the European Council.

6: The number of months, from October 2018 to March 2019, that it will take for the leaders of the European commission and parliament to closely scrutinise and ratify the Brexit deal.

10: The negative percentage difference of the pound against the euro since last year’s referendum result.

10: The number of years which could be deemed a “reasonable” amount of time for the UK and EU to remain on special trading terms while negotiating the Brexit deal, adhering to largely unknown World Trade Organisation rules.

18: The limited quantity of months that the UK and the EU have to finalise terms.

30: The number of national and regional parliaments which must negotiate a post-Brexit trade deal.

44: The length of time in years that the UK has been a member of the European Union.

45: The percentage of British exports bought by the EU. Post-Brexit, Britain is likely to be exposed to tariffs implemented by the World Trade Organization after formerly being able to trade duty free.

51.9: The percentage of Pro-Brexit votes in the referendum last June.

499: The length in kilometres of the Northern Ireland border, which has the potential to become a hard border as a result of Brexit.

700: The number of administrative intricacies which need to be resolved prior to Britain’s exit, according to Whitehall predictions.

1.2 million: Just under which is the estimated number of UK nationals living elsewhere in the EU. Their rights, along with those of EU citizens living in the UK, with be priority during Brexit negotiations.

2.9 million: The number of EU citizens living in the UK.

€60 billion: The potential amount the UK will have to pay for leaving the EU.