London dwarfs Birmingham in scale with 1,007,380 active companies versus 85,456 — a 11.8x difference. Despite the size gap, both cities play distinct roles in the UK economy. Birmingham may be smaller, but its industry mix and growth patterns offer unique advantages. Both cities share strength in Activities of other holding companies n.e.c. and Buying and selling of own real estate.
London has 1,007,380 active companies compared to 85,456 in Birmingham — 921,924 more.
Birmingham has a higher 2020s company formation rate (63.7%) compared to London (61.5%).
Both cities share these top industries: Activities of other holding companies n.e.c., Buying and selling of own real estate, Management consultancy activities other than financial management, Other business support service activities n.e.c., Other letting and operating of own or leased real estate. London is uniquely strong in Business and domestic software development and Information technology consultancy activities, while Birmingham stands out in Freight transport by road and Other human health activities.