Company incorporations by year
Every incorporation on the register since 1980, snapshot 2026-08-23.
The busiest year on the UK register was 2023, with 896,568 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 | 828,015 | 680,129 |
| 2024 | 844,168 | 450,148 |
| 2023 | 896,568 | 384,714 |
| 2022 | 802,430 | 306,309 |
| 2021 | 767,070 | 272,472 |
| 2020 | 775,720 | 250,978 |
| 2019 | 690,899 | 229,274 |
| 2018 | 669,397 | 202,369 |
| 2017 | 636,553 | 182,935 |
| 2016 | 666,579 | 166,124 |
| 2015 | 613,771 | 155,037 |
| 2014 | 587,320 | 140,544 |
| 2013 | 530,511 | 120,731 |
| 2012 | 492,231 | 105,086 |
| 2011 | 450,455 | 92,443 |
| 2010 | 376,889 | 78,232 |
| 2009 | 315,093 | 65,416 |
| 2008 | 245,266 | 59,293 |
| 2007 | 228,174 | 64,874 |
| 2006 | 182,202 | 59,649 |
| 2005 | 154,486 | 52,944 |
| 2004 | 135,816 | 50,160 |
| 2003 | 163,090 | 62,485 |
| 2002 | 122,927 | 48,645 |
| 2001 | 80,160 | 32,469 |
| 2000 | 75,534 | 31,281 |
| 1999 | 64,736 | 27,609 |
| 1998 | 55,901 | 23,960 |
| 1997 | 50,527 | 22,010 |
| 1996 | 41,233 | 18,606 |
| 1995 | 34,002 | 15,417 |
| 1994 | 28,890 | 13,569 |
| 1993 | 25,070 | 12,198 |
| 1992 | 21,839 | 10,807 |
| 1991 | 20,888 | 10,357 |
| 1990 | 20,398 | 10,173 |
| 1989 | 21,096 | 10,572 |
| 1988 | 20,917 | 10,659 |
| 1987 | 20,106 | 10,332 |
| 1986 | 18,365 | 9,279 |
| 1985 | 15,386 | 7,588 |
| 1984 | 14,117 | 7,192 |
| 1983 | 13,141 | 6,698 |
| 1982 | 12,655 | 6,712 |
| 1981 | 14,514 | 9,493 |
| 1980 | 8,850 | 4,371 |
Source: Companies House register, weekly snapshot. Methodology on the about page. Free to cite with attribution — more at UK company statistics.