Comparing business activity across major UK cities and regions.
| Rank | City | Active Companies | Total Registered | 2020s Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | London | 1,030,129 | 1,155,104 | 60.8% |
| 2 | Manchester | 97,939 | 115,596 | 61.1% |
| 3 | Birmingham | 88,502 | 104,868 | 61.3% |
| 4 | Glasgow | 67,872 | 78,225 | 54.6% |
| 5 | Edinburgh | 56,464 | 61,144 | 38.2% |
| 6 | Bristol | 54,901 | 60,573 | 47.5% |
| 7 | Leeds | 48,943 | 56,786 | 52.7% |
| 8 | Liverpool | 43,541 | 51,394 | 57.3% |
| 9 | Nottingham | 42,677 | 48,425 | 54.4% |
| 10 | Leicester | 42,301 | 48,397 | 57.4% |
| 11 | Sheffield | 33,922 | 38,779 | 52.8% |
| 12 | Cardiff | 30,445 | 67,562 | 61.7% |
| 13 | Harrow | 28,979 | 32,087 | 53.2% |
| 14 | Ilford | 27,538 | 31,754 | 64.1% |
| 15 | Coventry | 27,411 | 31,392 | 57.4% |
| 16 | Milton Keynes | 25,288 | 29,416 | 52.4% |
| 17 | Reading | 23,913 | 26,287 | 49.9% |
| 18 | Bolton | 23,815 | 27,254 | 60.5% |
| 19 | Southampton | 23,028 | 26,632 | 50.3% |
| 20 | Belfast | 22,934 | 27,184 | 53.7% |
London remains the undisputed centre of UK business activity, hosting more registered companies than all other cities combined. However, regional hubs like Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, and Bristol show strong growth dynamics.
The 2020s growth rate metric reveals where new business formation is most active relative to existing stock. Cities with high growth rates represent emerging opportunities, while established hubs with lower rates may indicate market maturity.
London is by far the largest business hub, hosting more registered companies than all other UK cities combined. Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, and Edinburgh are the next largest hubs.
Cities with the highest 2020s growth rates relative to their existing company base include several Northern and Midlands cities, reflecting the UK government's levelling-up initiatives and growing remote work adoption.
Regional data is based on the registered office address (post_town field) from Companies House records. This reflects where companies are legally registered, which may differ from their operational locations.