UK Marketing Industry Statistics 2026: How Many Marketing Businesses Are There?
Key findings: There were 60,470 advertising and market research businesses in the UK at the start of 2026. Together they employed 236,000 people, including owners, and had a turnover of £66.3 billion. 81% of them have no employees apart from the owner, compared with 74% across all UK businesses.
Source: Business population estimates for the UK and regions 2026, Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, published 5 November 2026, Table 6 (industry division 73, advertising and market research). Covers the UK private sector at the start of 2026. Percentages calculated by Business Mate. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
How Many Marketing Businesses Are There In The UK?
The official statistics group marketing businesses under “advertising and market research” (industry division 73). It covers advertising agencies, media representation (selling advertising space) and market research. At the start of 2026 there were 60,470 of them, about 1.1% of all 5.59 million UK private sector businesses.
| Measure | Advertising and market research | All UK businesses |
|---|---|---|
| Businesses | 60,470 | 5,586,835 |
| People working (including owners) | 236,000 | 28.3 million |
| Turnover | £66.3 billion | £5.5 trillion |
| Share with no employees | 81% | 74% |
Most Marketing Businesses Are One-Person Operations
49,190 advertising and market research businesses (81%) have no employees apart from the owner. Only 11,280 (19%) employ anyone. That is a higher share of one-person businesses than the UK average of 74%.
A Few Large Firms Take Half The Turnover
| Business size | Businesses | Share of jobs | Share of turnover |
|---|---|---|---|
| No employees | 49,190 | 22.8% | 5.7% |
| 2 to 49 employees | 10,570 | 28.4% | 21.1% |
| 50 to 249 employees | 430 | 17.0% | 22.1% |
| 250 or more employees | 110 | 31.7% | 50.9% |
Just 110 businesses with 250 or more employees account for 50.9% of the sector’s turnover and 31.7% of its jobs. The other 99.8% of businesses share the rest.
Size bands combine the published bands. The “2 to 49 employees” row excludes a small published band of 170 businesses recorded with 1 employee, so rows do not add up exactly to the total.
What This Means If You Are Choosing A Marketing Partner
- You have a lot of choice. With over 60,000 businesses in the sector, compare a few before you decide.
- Ask who will do the work. Most marketing businesses are one person, so check capacity and who covers holidays or sickness.
- Check how results are reported. Agree in advance what you will measure each month.
Our View
This section is Business Mate’s opinion based on the official figures above. It is not a forecast of results, and it is not business or financial advice.
We expect the sector to stay dominated by small, specialist businesses, because it is easy to start a marketing business with low costs. For buyers, that means clear pricing and proof of work matter more than company size.
Use These Statistics
You are welcome to quote these figures with credit and a link. Suggested citation: Business Mate (2026), UK Marketing Industry Statistics 2026, using Business population estimates 2026. See also our UK Small Business Marketing Index 2026.
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FAQs
How many marketing agencies are there in the UK?
There were 60,470 advertising and market research businesses in the UK at the start of 2026, according to the government’s Business population estimates 2026. This official category covers advertising agencies, media representation and market research.
How big is the UK advertising and market research industry?
At the start of 2026, UK advertising and market research businesses employed 236,000 people, including owners, and had a combined turnover of £66.3 billion.
Are most UK marketing businesses small?
Yes. 81% of UK advertising and market research businesses have no employees apart from the owner, and 99.8% have fewer than 250 employees.
