Company incorporations by year

Every incorporation on the register since 1980, snapshot 2026-09-12.

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	828,304	664,522
2024	844,171	440,231
2023	896,569	379,362
2022	802,430	302,859
2021	767,075	269,947
2020	775,736	248,543
2019	690,892	227,364
2018	669,398	200,759
2017	636,552	181,752
2016	666,577	165,022
2015	613,764	154,066
2014	587,316	139,730
2013	530,502	120,025
2012	492,229	104,549
2011	450,454	91,957
2010	376,891	77,907
2009	315,096	65,145
2008	245,266	59,021
2007	228,173	64,619
2006	182,202	59,428
2005	154,486	52,743
2004	135,820	49,962
2003	163,089	62,275
2002	122,927	48,437
2001	80,159	32,350
2000	75,534	31,158
1999	64,736	27,521
1998	55,901	23,877
1997	50,527	21,917
1996	41,235	18,547
1995	34,000	15,366
1994	28,890	13,525
1993	25,071	12,170
1992	21,839	10,775
1991	20,887	10,335
1990	20,399	10,153
1989	21,096	10,541
1988	20,915	10,624
1987	20,107	10,308
1986	18,365	9,256
1985	15,386	7,574
1984	14,117	7,177
1983	13,141	6,677
1982	12,656	6,709
1981	14,493	9,461
1980	8,850	4,363

Source: Companies House register, weekly snapshot. Methodology on the about page. Free to cite with attribution — more at UK company statistics.