Industries ranked by company formation growth rate in the 2020s decade.
| Rank | Industry | Growth Rate | Companies (2020s) | Total Active |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Regulation of health care, education, cultural and other social services, not incl. social security | 85.8% | 4,381 | 5,104 |
| 2 | Retail sale via mail order houses or via Internet | 85.4% | 127,565 | 149,451 |
| 3 | Manufacture of leather clothes | 84.9% | 516 | 608 |
| 4 | Take-away food shops and mobile food stands | 83.2% | 50,841 | 61,137 |
| 5 | Activities of property unit trusts | 82.1% | 664 | 809 |
| 6 | Manufacture of homogenized food preparations and dietetic food | 81.7% | 419 | 513 |
| 7 | Retail sale via stalls and markets of textiles, clothing and footwear | 80.9% | 2,513 | 3,108 |
| 8 | Retail sale of games and toys in specialised stores | 79.7% | 2,759 | 3,460 |
| 9 | Publishing of computer games | 79.2% | 3,000 | 3,788 |
| 10 | Retail sale via stalls and markets of food, beverages and tobacco products | 79.2% | 1,665 | 2,103 |
| 11 | Agents involved in the sale of textiles, clothing, fur, footwear and leather goods | 78.7% | 7,057 | 8,971 |
| 12 | Cargo handling for land transport activities | 78.1% | 873 | 1,118 |
| 13 | Specialised cleaning services | 77.8% | 5,780 | 7,429 |
| 14 | Manufacture of perfumes and toilet preparations | 77.7% | 1,700 | 2,188 |
| 15 | Unlicensed restaurants and cafes | 77.5% | 28,779 | 37,148 |
| 16 | Other software publishing | 77.3% | 9,962 | 12,881 |
| 17 | Wholesale of perfume and cosmetics | 77.2% | 4,998 | 6,473 |
| 18 | Manufacture of fruit and vegetable juice | 77.0% | 422 | 548 |
| 19 | Production of coffee and coffee substitutes | 76.8% | 1,236 | 1,609 |
| 20 | General cleaning of buildings | 76.3% | 13,399 | 17,559 |
The fastest growing UK industries by company formation rate in the 2020s reflect the shift toward technology, e-commerce, and professional services. Many traditional sectors have seen slower growth as digital transformation reshapes the economy.
Industries with growth rates above 40% indicate sectors where new company formation has accelerated significantly since 2020, often driven by post-pandemic opportunities, remote work, and government support schemes.
Growth rate is calculated as the percentage of currently active companies in each SIC code that were incorporated in the 2020s decade. This measures recent entrepreneurial activity relative to total industry size.
Only industries with at least 500 active companies are included to ensure statistical significance and avoid misleading percentages from very small sectors.
Technology, e-commerce, and professional services sectors consistently show the highest formation rates. Specific high-growth SIC codes include software development, management consultancy, and online retail.