21,880 active companies are currently registered in Belfast, a major UK business hub. Out of 29,438 companies ever registered here, 4,442 are no longer active — a 74% survival rate. The area has seen significant recent growth, with 51.7% of active businesses incorporated since 2020. Over half (74%) of active companies were formed since 2020, making this one of the UK's fastest-growing business locations. The most common industry sector is retail sale via mail order houses or via internet, with 1,178 companies. The area hosts 591 large enterprises, 602 small firms. Belfast is home to 532 FCA-regulated firms and 183 registered charities. Companies here hold 491 government contracts worth £2.1B in total. The average company age is 9.4 years. The earliest company registration in Belfast dates back to 1869.
Source: Companies House register via UVAGATRON, October 2026
Belfast is a growth hotspot — over half of its active companies were formed since 2020.
The average active company in Belfast is 9.4 years old. There are 532 <Link href="/glossary/fca-financial-conduct-authority">FCA-regulated firms</Link> in the area. 183 registered charities operate locally.
Companies in Belfast have been awarded 491 government contracts with a combined value of £2100.1M. See the Top Government Contractors report.
There are 21,880 active companies registered in Belfast, out of 29,438 total. 4,442 (15%) are no longer active.
The top industries in Belfast include Retail sale via mail order houses or via Internet (1,178 companies), Other letting and operating of own or leased real estate (1,030 companies), Residents property management (800 companies).
51.7% of currently active companies in Belfast were incorporated since 2020, indicating strong recent growth.
Our database contains 185,869 data signals across 12 categories for active companies in Belfast. The largest category is Governance with 90,917 signals from 4 sources.
The oldest company registration in Belfast dates back to 1869, spanning over 157 years of business history.