UK Small Business Marketing Index 2026
UK small business statistics for 2026, analysed for marketing. Our independent analysis of the government's official business figures: which sectors are growing, how crowded each region is and what makes London different. Free to use and cite with credit.
Edition 1, November 2026. Each year gets its own edition, so earlier editions stay available to cite.
UK Business Statistics 2026 At A Glance
5.59 million
UK private sector businesses at the start of 2026.
99.85% are SMEs
Businesses with fewer than 250 employees.
74% have no employees
4.1 million businesses are run by the owner alone.
+1.6% since 2020
Growth in registered businesses (VAT and/or PAYE), 2,652,500 to 2,696,000.
Source: Business population estimates 2026, Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade. Growth figure calculated by Business Mate.
Fastest Growing Sectors In The UK (2020 To 2026)
Change in the number of registered businesses by sector, start of 2020 to start of 2026. We use registered businesses because they are counted directly, while unregistered business numbers are estimates.
Real estate (+27.9%), health and social care (+22.5%) and education (+19.1%) grew fastest. Information and communication (-15.7%) and professional services (-8.7%) shrank. More businesses in a sector means more competition for the same customers, which makes being visible on Google and social media more important.
Business Mate analysis of Table 29, Business population estimates 2026. Percentages calculated by Business Mate.
How Many Businesses Are There In Each UK Region?
Private sector businesses per 10,000 resident adults, start of 2026.
London has 1,362 businesses per 10,000 adults, almost twice the North East (714). In the busiest regions, local search, reviews and a complete Google Business Profile matter most for being found.
Table 8, Business population estimates 2026.
What Makes London's Business Mix Different?
Share of businesses in each sector in London compared with the whole UK. A ratio above 1 means the sector is more common in London.
| Sector | London share | UK share | London vs UK |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information and communication | 10.7% | 6.1% | 1.75× |
| Finance and insurance | 2.4% | 1.6% | 1.50× |
| Real estate | 3.7% | 2.8% | 1.32× |
| Professional, scientific and technical | 16.7% | 13.9% | 1.20× |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 5.6% | 5.1% | 1.10× |
| Education | 6.1% | 5.8% | 1.05× |
| Wholesale, retail and motor trade | 9.5% | 9.4% | 1.01× |
| Transport and storage | 5.5% | 5.6% | 0.98× |
| Admin and support services | 8.1% | 8.4% | 0.96× |
| Health and social care | 7% | 7.3% | 0.96× |
| Hospitality (accommodation and food) | 3.7% | 4.3% | 0.86× |
| Other services (e.g. hair, beauty, repairs) | 6% | 7% | 0.86× |
| Mining, energy and utilities | 0.5% | 0.6% | 0.83× |
| Construction | 11.6% | 15.1% | 0.77× |
| Manufacturing | 2.8% | 4.6% | 0.61× |
| Agriculture, forestry and fishing | 0.1% | 2.5% | 0.04× |
Information and communication businesses are 1.75 times more common in London than across the UK, and finance and insurance 1.5 times. Construction (0.77) and manufacturing (0.61) are less common. For London businesses, competition is concentrated in digital, finance and professional services.
Business Mate analysis of Table 10, Business population estimates 2026. Ratio = London share divided by UK share.
The Data: Registered Businesses By Sector, 2020 And 2026
Copy and reuse this table with credit to Business Mate and the original source.
| Sector | 2020 | 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Real estate | 99,100 | 126,700 | +27.9% |
| Health and social care | 83,000 | 101,700 | +22.5% |
| Education | 35,000 | 41,700 | +19.1% |
| Other services (e.g. hair, beauty, repairs) | 89,300 | 103,100 | +15.5% |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 59,600 | 68,500 | +14.9% |
| Mining, energy and utilities | 14,700 | 16,700 | +13.6% |
| Hospitality (accommodation and food) | 155,900 | 176,700 | +13.3% |
| Construction | 350,500 | 392,900 | +12.1% |
| Finance and insurance | 47,900 | 50,300 | +5.0% |
| Wholesale, retail and motor trade | 385,600 | 400,800 | +3.9% |
| Transport and storage | 122,300 | 118,100 | -3.4% |
| Agriculture, forestry and fishing | 148,100 | 139,700 | -5.7% |
| Manufacturing | 137,600 | 128,300 | -6.8% |
| Admin and support services | 232,900 | 215,500 | -7.5% |
| Professional, scientific and technical | 465,400 | 425,000 | -8.7% |
| Information and communication | 225,500 | 190,200 | -15.7% |
| All industries | 2,652,500 | 2,696,000 | +1.6% |
Method, Sources And How To Cite
Source data: Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, Business population estimates for the UK and regions 2026, published 5 November 2026 (official statistics in development). Figures are rounded by the source.
Method: growth trends use registered businesses only, because unregistered business numbers are estimates with wider uncertainty. Percentages and ratios are calculated by Business Mate from the published tables.
How to cite: Business Mate (2026), UK Small Business Marketing Index, Edition 1, businessmateagency.co.uk/uk-small-business-marketing-index-2026/, using Business population estimates 2026.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
This page is marketing information, not business or financial advice.
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