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 | 83.9% | 3,741 | 4,459 |
| 2 | Retail sale via mail order houses or via Internet | 83.1% | 121,794 | 146,566 |
| 3 | Take-away food shops and mobile food stands | 81.1% | 47,830 | 58,984 |
| 4 | Retail sale via stalls and markets of textiles, clothing and footwear | 81.1% | 2,698 | 3,328 |
| 5 | Publishing of computer games | 80.2% | 3,349 | 4,175 |
| 6 | Other software publishing | 80.1% | 13,438 | 16,784 |
| 7 | Activities of property unit trusts | 79.3% | 551 | 695 |
| 8 | Retail sale of games and toys in specialised stores | 78.8% | 2,742 | 3,479 |
| 9 | Manufacture of household and sanitary goods and of toilet requisites | 78.5% | 426 | 543 |
| 10 | Manufacture of perfumes and toilet preparations | 78.0% | 1,896 | 2,431 |
| 11 | Unlicensed restaurants and cafes | 77.0% | 28,780 | 37,392 |
| 12 | Retail sale via stalls and markets of food, beverages and tobacco products | 77.0% | 1,553 | 2,018 |
| 13 | Reproduction of computer media | 76.3% | 498 | 653 |
| 14 | Specialised cleaning services | 76.0% | 5,585 | 7,350 |
| 15 | Manufacture of fruit and vegetable juice | 75.9% | 418 | 551 |
| 16 | Wholesale of perfume and cosmetics | 75.7% | 4,596 | 6,068 |
| 17 | Production of coffee and coffee substitutes | 75.6% | 1,204 | 1,592 |
| 18 | Retail sale of cosmetic and toilet articles in specialised stores | 75.3% | 4,012 | 5,327 |
| 19 | General cleaning of buildings | 74.8% | 13,010 | 17,398 |
| 20 | Cargo handling for land transport activities | 74.5% | 761 | 1,021 |
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.