Company incorporations by year
Every incorporation on the register since 1980, snapshot 2026-11-14.
The busiest year on the UK register was 2023, with 896,577 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 | 829,904 | 608,607 |
| 2024 | 844,193 | 421,401 |
| 2023 | 896,577 | 364,667 |
| 2022 | 802,436 | 291,816 |
| 2021 | 767,096 | 263,513 |
| 2020 | 775,728 | 242,631 |
| 2019 | 690,888 | 222,620 |
| 2018 | 669,383 | 196,959 |
| 2017 | 636,539 | 178,614 |
| 2016 | 666,565 | 162,388 |
| 2015 | 613,751 | 151,710 |
| 2014 | 587,307 | 137,454 |
| 2013 | 530,499 | 118,289 |
| 2012 | 492,229 | 103,152 |
| 2011 | 450,457 | 90,713 |
| 2010 | 376,888 | 76,873 |
| 2009 | 315,111 | 64,311 |
| 2008 | 245,267 | 58,255 |
| 2007 | 228,175 | 63,760 |
| 2006 | 182,205 | 58,661 |
| 2005 | 154,494 | 52,187 |
| 2004 | 135,823 | 49,433 |
| 2003 | 163,090 | 61,544 |
| 2002 | 122,937 | 47,917 |
| 2001 | 80,162 | 32,019 |
| 2000 | 75,535 | 30,836 |
| 1999 | 64,736 | 27,241 |
| 1998 | 55,899 | 23,640 |
| 1997 | 50,528 | 21,715 |
| 1996 | 41,237 | 18,366 |
| 1995 | 34,000 | 15,228 |
| 1994 | 28,890 | 13,410 |
| 1993 | 25,073 | 12,066 |
| 1992 | 21,839 | 10,692 |
| 1991 | 20,886 | 10,246 |
| 1990 | 20,401 | 10,066 |
| 1989 | 21,096 | 10,448 |
| 1988 | 20,916 | 10,548 |
| 1987 | 20,108 | 10,202 |
| 1986 | 18,365 | 9,188 |
| 1985 | 15,385 | 7,520 |
| 1984 | 14,116 | 7,128 |
| 1983 | 13,141 | 6,638 |
| 1982 | 12,658 | 6,674 |
| 1981 | 14,484 | 9,412 |
| 1980 | 8,850 | 4,329 |
Source: Companies House register, weekly snapshot. Methodology on the about page. Free to cite with attribution — more at UK company statistics.