The contribution of prostitution and illegal drugs to the British economy is now greater than industries like advertising and real estate and on-par with agriculture, official statistics show.
Prostitution and illegal drugs are contributing around £10 billion a year to the British economy, according to official data.
More than half of that — £5.3 billion — is attributable to prostitution, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said on Thursday, while illegal drugs are worth £4.4 billion.
Together, these shadowy activities are likely to increase the level of GDP in 2009 — the most recent year which the ONS has calculated the data for — by around £10 billion, Sydney Morning Herald informs.
