New companies by UK city: the 2026 figures for 74 cities
391,108 new companies were set up in the 74 UK cities we measured in the twelve months to August 2026. London took just over half. Relative to their size, Wolverhampton, Bradford, Manchester and Sunderland grew fastest.
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We counted every active company on the Companies House register whose registered office is in one of 74 UK cities, and how many of them were set up in the twelve full months to August 2026. The figures come from the free Companies House snapshot of 1 September 2026.
How many new companies each city had
London had 198,723 new companies in the twelve months, just over half of the 391,108 across all 74 cities. After London the list runs:
- Manchester: 20,150
- Birmingham: 16,700
- Glasgow: 11,037
- Liverpool: 7,838
- Leeds: 7,373
- Leicester: 6,979
- Bristol: 6,670
- Nottingham: 6,306
- Edinburgh: 5,969
- Sheffield: 5,036
Bradford (4,681), Coventry (4,661), Cardiff (4,373) and Wolverhampton (4,074) come next. Every city has its own page with its monthly figures, the trades its new companies file under and its busiest postcode districts: the full list is on the UK companies hub.
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Where new companies are growing fastest
Raw counts favour big cities. A fairer test is new companies as a share of the companies already there. On that measure, among cities with at least 2,000 active companies, the leaders are:
- Wolverhampton: new companies equal to 22.3% of its active base
- Bradford: 21.5%
- Manchester: 20.7%
- Sunderland: 20.2%
- London: 19.7%
- Birmingham: 19.5%
Sunderland is the surprise. It is far smaller than the others, with 6,203 active companies, but 1,253 new ones were set up there in the year, 98 of them in August alone. The most common trade among them is take-away food shops and mobile food stands (SIC 56103).
What the new companies do
In most big cities the top code among new companies is 47910, retail sale by mail order or via the internet: online shops. It leads in London, Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow, Leicester, Bristol and Edinburgh. Property companies come next nearly everywhere: 68100, buying and selling own real estate, and 68209, letting and operating own or leased real estate.
A few cities break the pattern:
- In Cambridge, the top code among new companies is 62012, business and domestic software development.
- In Coventry and Doncaster, freight transport by road (49410) is in the top two.
- In Milton Keynes, management consultancy (70229) is second.
What this means if you sell to businesses
A new company is choosing its accountant, its website, its insurance and its suppliers in its first months. Our guide to selling to new companies covers what they buy and when. The practical point from these figures is where to look. A supplier in the North East, for example, has about 3,500 new Newcastle companies and 1,250 new Sunderland companies a year to talk to. For agencies, see how marketing agencies find new clients.
How we counted
- Source: the Companies House Basic Company Data snapshot of 1 September 2026, free under the Open Government Licence.
- Active companies only. A company set up in the year and already dissolved is not counted, so the figures slightly undercount. For the same reason we do not compare with earlier years: older years have had longer to lose companies.
- City means the registered office. A company counts for a city when its registered office's post town and postcode area are that city's. Many companies use an accountant's or a formation agent's address, so this is where companies are registered, which is not always where they trade.
- Trade is the first SIC code the company gave. Companies can give up to four.
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Common questions
Which UK city has the most new companies?
London, by a wide margin: 198,723 new companies in the twelve months to August 2026, just over half of the 391,108 across the 74 cities we measured. Manchester was second with 20,150 and Birmingham third with 16,700.
Which UK city is growing fastest for new businesses?
Relative to the companies already there, Wolverhampton: its new companies in the year equal 22.3% of its active base. Bradford, Manchester and Sunderland follow, all above 20%. This counts cities with at least 2,000 active companies.
How many new companies are set up in Sunderland?
1,253 in the twelve months to August 2026, and 98 in August alone, on top of 6,203 active companies already registered there. The most common trade among the new ones is take-away food shops and mobile food stands.
Where do these figures come from?
The free Companies House Basic Company Data snapshot of 1 September 2026, counted by registered office. Only companies still active are included, so the figures slightly undercount companies set up and dissolved within the year.