Company incorporations by year
Every incorporation on the register since 1980, snapshot 2026-09-19.
The busiest year on the UK register was 2023, with 896,569 companies incorporated. The full year-by-year series since 1980 is below.
Incorporations per year
Companies incorporated per calendar year, as recorded on the register today — dissolved companies included.
Incorporations by year
| Year | Incorporated | Still active |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 828,392 | 655,779 |
| 2024 | 844,173 | 437,643 |
| 2023 | 896,569 | 377,203 |
| 2022 | 802,430 | 301,259 |
| 2021 | 767,077 | 268,967 |
| 2020 | 775,735 | 247,532 |
| 2019 | 690,887 | 226,480 |
| 2018 | 669,395 | 200,038 |
| 2017 | 636,549 | 181,186 |
| 2016 | 666,573 | 164,487 |
| 2015 | 613,764 | 153,622 |
| 2014 | 587,315 | 139,352 |
| 2013 | 530,500 | 119,736 |
| 2012 | 492,228 | 104,319 |
| 2011 | 450,455 | 91,773 |
| 2010 | 376,891 | 77,776 |
| 2009 | 315,098 | 65,013 |
| 2008 | 245,266 | 58,907 |
| 2007 | 228,173 | 64,473 |
| 2006 | 182,203 | 59,301 |
| 2005 | 154,486 | 52,656 |
| 2004 | 135,821 | 49,895 |
| 2003 | 163,089 | 62,168 |
| 2002 | 122,927 | 48,383 |
| 2001 | 80,159 | 32,304 |
| 2000 | 75,534 | 31,117 |
| 1999 | 64,736 | 27,487 |
| 1998 | 55,901 | 23,840 |
| 1997 | 50,527 | 21,895 |
| 1996 | 41,235 | 18,529 |
| 1995 | 34,000 | 15,343 |
| 1994 | 28,890 | 13,515 |
| 1993 | 25,071 | 12,156 |
| 1992 | 21,839 | 10,762 |
| 1991 | 20,887 | 10,324 |
| 1990 | 20,401 | 10,145 |
| 1989 | 21,096 | 10,534 |
| 1988 | 20,915 | 10,618 |
| 1987 | 20,107 | 10,289 |
| 1986 | 18,365 | 9,250 |
| 1985 | 15,386 | 7,570 |
| 1984 | 14,117 | 7,172 |
| 1983 | 13,141 | 6,666 |
| 1982 | 12,656 | 6,699 |
| 1981 | 14,493 | 9,458 |
| 1980 | 8,850 | 4,357 |
Source: Companies House register, weekly snapshot. Methodology on the about page. Free to cite with attribution — more at UK company statistics.