UK company counts
UK companies by sector, region and size
About 5.2 million companies are active on the UK register, and 63% of them have an employee count in their filed accounts. Here they are by sector, region and size, according to accounts filed up to 24 October 2026 (register of 1 September 2026).
Accounts filed up to 24 October 2026 Register of 1 September 2026
Twelve sectors, UK-wide
| Sector | Companies | With a filed headcount | Medium 50 to 249 | Large 250+ | Grew by 10+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engineering | about 160,000 | 69% | about 2,200 | about 170 | about 730 |
| Construction | about 520,000 | 73% | about 2,100 | about 200 | about 1,200 |
| IT and software | about 340,000 | 62% | about 1,500 | about 130 | about 1,100 |
| Manufacturing | about 210,000 | 71% | about 4,500 | about 420 | about 1,400 |
| Recruitment | about 59,000 | 66% | about 1,100 | about 230 | about 800 |
| Accountancy | about 60,000 | 80% | about 160 | fewer than 20 | about 100 |
| Legal | about 22,000 | 73% | about 250 | fewer than 20 | about 130 |
| Logistics and transport | about 150,000 | 63% | about 1,300 | about 150 | about 630 |
| Wholesale | about 190,000 | 58% | about 1,600 | about 160 | about 670 |
| Hospitality | about 270,000 | 59% | about 2,800 | about 390 | about 2,400 |
| Healthcare and care | about 260,000 | 69% | about 5,100 | about 520 | about 3,000 |
| Marketing and advertising | about 80,000 | 60% | about 290 | about 30 | about 150 |
Every count is rounded to two significant figures. A company can sit in two sectors if its SIC codes span both. Each sector page says exactly which codes it counts.
Why these numbers are hard to find
Companies House publishes the register and the filed accounts separately, and neither can be filtered by size. The guide explains why, how much of the register has a headcount, and what the 2028 accounts reform will and will not change.