20,708 active companies are currently registered in Derby, a major UK business hub. Out of 25,513 companies ever registered here, 2,805 are no longer active — a 81% survival rate. The area has seen significant recent growth, with 57.5% of active businesses incorporated since 2020. Over half (72%) of active companies were formed since 2020, making this one of the UK's fastest-growing business locations. The most common industry sector is other letting and operating of own or leased real estate, with 1,493 companies. The area hosts 194 large enterprises, 211 small firms. Derby is home to 408 FCA-regulated firms and 188 registered charities. Companies here hold 818 government contracts worth £2.5B in total. The average company age is 7.9 years. The earliest company registration in Derby dates back to 1867.
Source: Companies House register via UVAGATRON, October 2026
Derby is a growth hotspot — over half of its active companies were formed since 2020.
The average active company in Derby is 7.9 years old. There are 408 <Link href="/glossary/fca-financial-conduct-authority">FCA-regulated firms</Link> in the area. 188 registered charities operate locally.
Companies in Derby have been awarded 818 government contracts with a combined value of £2527.0M. See the Top Government Contractors report.
There are 20,708 active companies registered in Derby, out of 25,513 total. 2,805 (11%) are no longer active.
The top industries in Derby include Other letting and operating of own or leased real estate (1,493 companies), Buying and selling of own real estate (1,288 companies), Management consultancy activities other than financial management (853 companies).
57.5% of currently active companies in Derby were incorporated since 2020, indicating strong recent growth.
Our database contains 184,652 data signals across 12 categories for active companies in Derby. The largest category is Governance with 86,686 signals from 6 sources.
The oldest company registration in Derby dates back to 1867, spanning over 159 years of business history.