Guidance

Quality and methods guide

Published 30 July 2026

1. Overview

This guide provides quality and methods information for our ‘incorporated companies in the UK’ publication.

We publish statistics on UK companies register movements every quarter, with a monthly breakdown of each measure. These include additions to the register, such as incorporations and restorations, and removals, such as strike-offs.

These statistics come from administrative data held on the UK companies register. The data is collected mainly to run Companies House’s operations, such as processing company filings and applications. We carry out quality assurance and sense checks before publication. This helps us identify and address issues that can arise from using operational data for statistical purposes.

These are statistics in development. For more information, see the section How we quality assure the data and statistics.

2. Latest changes to quality and methods

We updated this guide on 30 July 2026. Important changes to quality and methods since we previously published this guide on 31 October 2024 are:

• publishing a monthly breakdown of information - published quarterly
• improving our tracking of company movements, so that additions and removals now add up to the change in register size
• no longer publishing the effective register and the number of companies in the course of dissolution as a headline figure, and instead publishing detailed breakdowns of company status
• providing a more detail on the stages a company goes through when it is removed from the register

For more information on latest, past and upcoming changes, go to the section Changes and their effects on comparability over time.

3. What the statistics cover

We publish a quarterly release, with a monthly breakdown of the following register movements:

• total register size
• additions to the register, including incorporations, restorations and other additions including conversions to a company
• removals from the register, including first Gazette notices, companies being struck off and dissolutions
• a breakdown of removals by whether a company chose to be removed voluntarily or followed a compulsory route

The publication covers two types of corporate body: companies and limited liability partnerships (LLPs).

The UK companies register covers England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. We publish monthly figures for companies and LLPs, both for the UK as a whole and for each of these areas.

3.1 What the statistics do not cover

These statistics cover companies and LLPs registered with Companies House. They do not include:

• unincorporated businesses, such as sole traders and ordinary partnerships, which are not required to register with Companies House
• the total number of businesses in the UK, since these statistics count corporate bodies registered with Companies House rather than businesses more broadly

For statistics that cover the wider UK business population, see the section Comparability and coherence with other statistics producers.

4. Where the data comes from

These statistics come from administrative data held on the UK companies register. This data is collected mainly to run Companies House’s operations, such as processing company filings and applications, rather than to produce statistics. We use this same data to count activity on the register, such as incorporations, removals and changes in register size.

Companies and LLPs must tell Companies House about certain changes, such as incorporations, changes of directors, and applications to be struck off. This information is submitted through our online, paper and API filing services, and is recorded on the register at the point it is processed.

All the figures in this publication come from this single source.

5. How we produce the statistics

1. We extract data from the companies register on a monthly basis, using the same records Companies House uses to run its operations. We do not independently verify the accuracy of information filed by companies.
2. We use agreed definitions to classify each transaction, such as incorporations, restorations, strike offs and dissolutions. This code is written by our analysts and checked by others with the right expertise.
3. We check that additions and removals add up to the change in register size for each month, and investigate any figures that look unexpected before publishing.
4. We combine the monthly figures into quarterly totals. The quarterly total is always the sum of the 3 months, with no separate adjustment.

6. Quality of the statistics

6.1 Statistical designation

These statistics are labelled as ‘official statistics in development’. They are based on information from our main operational database, accessed via a cloud-based data platform. We are developing how we collect the data and produce the statistics to improve their quality.

Once we have completed the developments, we will review the statistics with the Statistics Head of Profession. 

If the statistics meet trustworthiness, quality and value standards based on user feedback, we will remove the official statistics in development label to publish under the ‘official statistics’ label. 

If they do not meet trustworthiness, quality and value standards, we will further develop them and might stop producing them.

We will inform users of the outcome of our, and any Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR), review and any changes.

6.2 How we quality assure the data and statistics

Quality assurance is completed at a number of points during the publication round. This section will go into the different forms of quality assurance performed at each stage.

Quality assurance at the point of data extraction

We ensure that the correct records, transactions and events are captured. The actions taken during this period are:

• independent reviews conducted on extraction code to validate the logic, filters and transformations
• liaising with subject matter experts and colleagues to discuss the approach to writing code
• reviewing business processes to understand transaction sequences and timings, for example the process of moving through the stages of being removed from the register
• investigating system definitions and recording conventions to ensure all relevant activities are captured
• comparing results using alternative extraction methods
• investigating and resolving any issues identified during the assurance process

Quality assurance at the point of collating tables

Once data has been extracted, we complete a range of reconciliation and validation checks to ensure the numbers published are accurate, complete and internally consistent. Quality assurance checks completed during this period are:

• reconciling company and limited liability partnerships register movements
• comparing statistics with outputs from alternative data sources, including an internal dimensional model on the cloud-based data platform
• investigating and documenting any discrepancies identified during this process
• confirming that UK totals sum to the values of the constituent countries
• reconciling that the subsets of struck off companies equal total companies struck off

Quality assurance at the point of report writing

Quality assurance during this process focusses on providing an accurate, balanced and coherent interpretation of the statistics. Steps taken here are:

• checking all commentary is supported by the underlying data and rectifying where it is not
• verifying the consistency between the narrative and statistical tables
• reviewing notable movements and trends
• ensuring definitions and language is consistent throughout the publication
• communicating clearly the methods, caveats and limitations of the data
• peer review
• ensuring all numbers quoted within the release are correct

6.3 Strengths and limitations

Strengths

1. The figures reconcile. Additions and removals to the register always add up to the change in register size.
2. The statistics are based on a complete administrative source, not a sample.
3. The release provides a breakdown of company removals, showing each stage from first Gazette notice to strike off and dissolution.
4. The release shows whether a removal followed a voluntary or compulsory route.
5. Monthly figures are available alongside quarterly totals, giving more granular detail than previously published.

Limitations

1. The data is collected primarily for Companies House’s operational purposes, not for statistics, so it may not always suit every analytical need.
2. The statistics do not cover unincorporated businesses, such as sole traders and ordinary partnerships. See the section What the statistics do not cover.

6.4 European Statistical System Quality Dimensions

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has developed Guidelines for measuring statistical quality based on the 5 European Statistical System (ESS) Quality Dimensions. These are:

• relevance
• accuracy and reliability
• timeliness and punctuality
• comparability and coherence
• accessibility and clarity

We have integrated these considerations into the guide.

7. Changes and their effects on comparability over time

7.1 Latest changes 

These changes are ordered by date, with the most recent first. They apply to the release covering April to June 2026, and were not in place for the release covering January to March 2026:

• we have published statistics on register size, incorporations and dissolutions for many years, but some of our methods have changed - we recommend caution when comparing figures in this release with older releases, until we republish historic data using our current methods and can confirm the extent of any differences
• we changed the data item we use to calculate register size - this may cause small differences between figures published from this release onwards and those published previously
• we improved how we track companies through the register, so that additions and removals now add up to the change in register size each month - this may cause small differences between figures published from this release onwards and those published previously
• we stopped publishing the effective register and the number of companies in the course of dissolution as headline figures - we plan to publish more detailed breakdowns of company status and the removals process, so users can build a similar measure themselves if needed
• we now publish a monthly breakdown alongside quarterly totals - this does not affect the comparability of quarterly figures with earlier releases
• we now publish a more detailed breakdown of the stages and routes of removal from the register, including the distinction between a company being struck off and being dissolved - this is new information and has no earlier equivalent to compare against.

7.2 Past changes

We have not made any important changes to quality and methods prior to this release.

7.3 Upcoming changes

We plan to:

• automate more of our production process, including data extraction, producing statistical tables, and quality assurance
• publish a historic time series back to April 2025, including charts
• add further breakdowns to this release - these may include other corporate body types, such as limited partnerships, insolvencies, dormant companies, and industry analysis using Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) codes - the order in which these are added has not yet been decided

8. Comparability and coherence with other statistics producers

8.1 Office for National Statistics

The Office for National Statistics’ UK business demography statistics are not comparable with ours, because of the following differences:

Companies House	Office for National Statistics
Includes incorporated companies and limited liability partnerships	Covers VAT and PAYE-registered businesses
Covers the UK with a breakdown by jurisdiction, grouping England and Wales together	Covers the UK down to county district
Companies and Limited Partnerships only	Company, public corporations, non-profit, partnership, sole proprietors
No industry breakdown	Data available at SIC2007 4 digit level

8.2 Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade

The Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade’s business population estimates are not comparable with ours, because of the following differences:

Companies House	Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade
Includes incorporated companies and limited liability partnerships	VAT and/or PAYE registered private sector businesses plus estimate of unregistered population.
Covers the UK with a breakdown by jurisdiction, grouping England and Wales together	Data available at UK level, as well as by country and region
Companies and limited liability partnerships only	With exception of Whole Economy table, focus is on Private Sector – companies, public corporations, sole proprietorships and partnerships
No industry breakdown	Data available at SIC 2007 3-digit level.

8.3 The Insolvency Service

The Insolvency Service uses data supplied by Companies House as one of its sources for its company insolvency statistics. We carry out basic checks on this data, such as removing duplicate records, before providing it. We do not verify the accuracy of all information filed by companies.

We previously published a separate breakdown of company insolvencies in this release. We no longer do this, and plan to explore how it could be reintroduced in a future release, alongside further work with The Insolvency Service on aligning our data.

9. Users and uses of these statistics

Companies House statistics are used extensively by government, the public, public bodies and businesses. For example, they are used by:

• government in understanding the likely impact of policy changes and monitoring the impact of economic changes on companies
• businesses in understanding their market share and planning marketing strategies
• banks in developing an understanding of their customer base
• foreign firms in making UK location decisions
• academics to inform research into businesses at local and national level
• a range of public bodies in decision-making and evaluating business-related policies

10. Definitions

10.1 Corporate body

A corporate body is the overarching term used for legal entities. These include companies and:

• assurance companies
• charitable incorporated organisations
• European economic interest groupings
• further education and sixth form college corporations
• investment companies with variable capital
• investment companies with variable capital (securities)
• investment companies with variable capital (umbrella)
• limited liability partnerships
• limited partnerships
• old public companies
• other company types
• overseas companies
• overseas entities
• protected cell companies
• registered societies
• Royal Charter companies
• Scottish charitable incorporated organisations
• Scottish partnerships
• UK economic interest groupings
• UK Societas
• unregistered companies

10.2 Companies

A company is a legal entity with a separate identity from those who own or run it. Most companies are limited liability companies where the liability of the members is limited by shares or by guarantee.

Establishing a company means the directors are required to file certain documents every year, including annual accounts and confirmation statements (which replaced annual returns). Companies must inform Companies House about any changes, such as the appointment or resignation of directors, or a change to the company’s registered office address.

Companies refer to:

• public limited company
• private company limited by shares
• private company limited by guarantee
• private company limited by shares exempt under section 60 of the Companies Act 2006
• private company limited by guarantee exempt under section 60 of the Companies Act 2006
• private unlimited company with share capital
• private unlimited company without share capital

10.3 Limited liability partnerships (LLPs)

Other corporate body types included in the publication are LLPs.

An LLP can be set up to run a business with 2 or more members. A member can be can a person or company.

10.4 The companies register size

The companies register includes all companies registered at Companies House and required to file documents, regardless of whether they are dormant or actively trading.

This also includes companies in liquidation and receivership, and companies in the removals process whose trading status is not yet dissolved. When a company’s trading status changes to dissolved, the company is ‘struck off’ and removed from the Companies House register.

We are changing the way we calculate register size to use trading status to distinguish a company that is either at a live or dissolved state. This is in line with the information that is published on Find and update company information.

Trading status	Included in register size
Trading	Yes
Dormant	Yes
Dissolved	No

Following dissolution, a company can return to the register through a restoration process.

10.5 Other definitions

Incorporation

This is the creation of a new legal entity. The Companies Act 2006 covers the incorporations of companies and the Limited Liability Partnerships Act 2000 covers incorporating LLPs. Learn more about incorporation.

Restoration

A restoration is the process by which a dissolved entity recorded on a Companies House register is returned to that register. Restoration may apply to companies and other registrable corporate bodies, such as LLPs, where the relevant legislative requirements are met. An entity that is restored is generally treated in law as having continued in existence as if it had not been struck off or dissolved.

Depending on the type of entity and the circumstances of its dissolution, restoration may be achieved either through an administrative application to the Registrar or by an order of the court.

Strike off

Strike off is the removal of a company from the Companies House register. This generally occurs not less than 2 months after the first Gazette has been issued to a company, if no other action has happened between this time. Learn more about closing a company.

Dissolution

Dissolution is the legal outcome once the strike off process is complete. At that point, the company ceases to exist as a legal entity. This generally happens within one week of the company being struck off.

Because of these timeframes, a company that is struck off in one month may not be dissolved until the next month.

Other additions and removals

The register size can change when corporate bodies convert to another corporate body. For example, when an LLP becomes a limited company.

Removals from the register

A company can be removed from the register through several routes:

• liquidation
• voluntary strike off, where the company chooses to be removed
• compulsory strike off, where the Registrar takes action to remove the company - this usually happens when there is reason to believe the company is no longer trading or operating, or it has failed to update its registered office address from a defaulted address
• expedited strike off, where there is reason to believe the company was formed on a false basis

First Gazette notice for strike off

Companies undergoing voluntary, compulsory or expedited compulsory strike off will be issued a first Gazette notice for strike off. Following this notice, the company will be struck off and dissolved in:

• not less than 2 months for voluntary strike off, unless the strike off application is withdrawn
• not less than 2 months for compulsory strike off, unless the registrar is provided sufficient evidence to the contrary
• not less than 28 days for expedited compulsory strike off, unless the registrar is provided sufficient evidence to the contrary

Companies may take longer than the minimum stated duration to be struck off and dissolved, for example if there is an objection to the company being removed from the register.

Learn more about objections.

Final Gazette notice for strike off

Companies are dissolved on the date that a final Gazette notice is issued. The final Gazette notice can be for a company that has:

• dissolved following voluntary strike off
• dissolved following compulsory strike off, this includes companies dissolved by expedited strike off
• dissolved following liquidation
• dissolved following a court order

Jurisdiction

This is the name of the official power to make legal decisions and judgements. This responsibility lies with the Registrar. There are roles within Companies House for a Registrar of England and Wales, a Registrar of Scotland and a Registrar of Northern Ireland.

11. Related links

Companies House statistics newer than 2014

Companies House statistics older than 2014

Open data products at Companies House

Find and update company information

Companies House API overview

12. Cite this page

Companies House, updated 30 July 2026, GOV.UK website, quality and methods guide, Incorporated companies in the UK: quality and methods guide 

13. Contact details

Statistics team: statistics@companieshouse.gov.uk