Official Statistics

Incorporated companies in the UK October to December 2023

Published 25 January 2024

1. Other statistics in this release

In addition to covering register activity for all companies, a range of other statistics are included in the tables that accompany this release. The following information is provided for individual countries and for the UK:

• register activity for public companies
• register activity for limited liability partnerships (LLPs)
• company insolvencies and liquidations
• removals from the register

We present the statistics within this release based on the financial year, which runs from the beginning of April to the end of the following March. The year is broken down so that:

• April to June is Quarter 1
• July to September is Quarter 2
• October to December is Quarter 3
• January to March is Quarter 4

2. Main points

• At the end of December 2023, there were 5,267,187 companies on the total register and 4,796,341 on the effective register.
• During the period October to December 2023, the total register increased by 53,771 companies (1.0%), and the effective register increased by 50,894 companies (1.1%).
• Between October and December 2023, there were 214,446 incorporations and 163,452 dissolutions in the UK.
• The number of incorporations between October and December 2023 increased by 30,363 (16.5%) compared with the same period in 2022.
• The number of dissolutions between October and December 2023 increased by 46,760 (40.1%) compared with the same period in 2022.
• The number of companies in the course of removal in the period October to December 2023 decreased by 11,792 (3.2%) compared with October to December 2022.

3. Changes in the size of the register

At the end of December 2023, there were 5,267,187 companies on the total register, which includes those in the course of removal and liquidation (470,846). During the period October to December 2023, the size of the total register increased by 53,771 companies (1.0%) compared with the end of September 2023. Growth in the size of the total register was observed in all constituent countries in the period October to December 2023. England and Wales increased by 1.0%, Scotland by 0.7% and Northern Ireland by 4.1%.

The number of companies on the effective register, which excludes those in the course of removal or liquidation, was 4,796,341 at the end of December 2023. During the period October to December 2023, the size of the effective register increased by 50,894 companies (1.1%) compared with the end of September 2023. Growth in the size of the effective register was observed in all constituent countries in the period October to December 2023. England and Wales increased by 1.1%, Scotland by 0.5% and Northern Ireland by 4.0%.

The sizes of both the total and effective registers have increased at a steady rate. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic there was a large increase in incorporations and a decrease in dissolutions, causing greater growth in the registers. From Quarter 4 (January to March) financial year ending (FYE) 2022, there has been a return to pre-pandemic growth rates.

Figure 3.1: The total and effective register sizes increased by 1.0% and 1.1%, respectively, during the period October to December 2023

The total and effective register size, UK companies register, Quarter 3 FYE 2014 to Quarter 3 FYE 2024

Source: Incorporated companies in the UK, October to December 2023, Companies House

Between October and December 2023, there were 214,446 incorporations in the UK. The number of incorporations during the period October to December 2023 increased by 30,363 (16.5%) compared with the same period in 2022. The average number of incorporations during a quarter has increased over time. For example, there were 94,437 more incorporations in the period October to December 2023 compared with the same period in 2013.

During the period October to December 2023, there were 163,452 dissolutions in the UK. The number of dissolutions between October and December 2023 increased by 46,760 (40.1%) compared with the same period in 2022. The strike off process was paused for 5 weeks at the end of October 2022 and resumed in a phased approach. This may have contributed to the decrease in dissolutions in October to December 2022. The average number of dissolutions in a quarter has increased over time. There were 86,136 more dissolutions in the period October to December 2023 compared with the same period in 2013.

Figure 3.2: Incorporations and dissolutions increased by 16.5% and 40.1%, respectively, compared with the same period last year

Incorporations and dissolutions, UK companies register, Quarter 3 FYE 2014 to Quarter 3 FYE 2024

Source: Incorporated companies in the UK, October to December 2023, Companies House

Between October and December 2023, the number of companies in the course of removal decreased by 11,792 (3.2%) compared with the same period in 2022. The strike off process was paused for 5 weeks at the end of October 2022 and resumed in a phased approach. This may have contributed to the increase in companies in the course of removal in October to December 2022. It is difficult to make like-for-like comparisons with previous years because of disruptions to the strike off process in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and national lockdown measures. There were also large-scale objections to dissolutions for companies with outstanding government-backed coronavirus support loans.

The tables that accompany this release provide a full breakdown of figures for the UK, England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Figures are provided from April 2012 onwards.

4. About the data

The figures in this release provide information about the population of companies in the UK. A company is defined as a specific legal form of business formed under the Companies Act 2006. Companies are registered at Companies House regardless of whether they are trading or dormant. For more information on companies and the Companies Act 2006, see  Definitions to accompany statistical releases from Companies House.

The statistics in this release include:

• the total number of registered companies
• the number of companies incorporated
• the number of companies dissolved

The release focuses on the headline messages for the UK. Figures for England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are included in the tables that accompany this publication. These documents also include figures for public limited companies (PLCs) and limited liability partnerships (LLPs).

5. Glossary

Definitions for the main terms used in Companies House official statistics publications are available in a separate document. See Definitions to accompany statistical releases from Companies House.

6. Strengths and limitations

Companies House statistics are used 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

6.1 Quality

Information about the quality of Companies House official statistics is provided in a separate document. See Quality information to accompany statistical releases from Companies House.

This document allows users to decide if the data are of sufficient quality for their intended use. The information is structured in terms of the quality dimensions of the European Statistical System. The document also provides information on how these statistics relate to other business statistics.

6.2 Revisions to these statistics

Revisions to these statistics will be mainly because of changes in methodologies and source data. The statistics are derived from administrative data, and changes to the underlying methods will cause revisions. These include changes in statistical methods, definitions, classifications, and geographic coverage.

Companies House has robust procedures in place to minimise errors in these statistics. If errors are found after the publication, their impact will be assessed. If the changes are substantial, we will issue a correction as soon as possible. Minor corrections will be included in the next planned release.

We will amend any misleading or incorrect figures and add a note to show that the figures have been corrected. This note will also explain the nature and reason for the correction.

6.3 Consultation

Results of the most recent consultation on these official statistics are published on GOV.UK.

7. Future releases

Annual statistics for the financial year ending 2024 will be published on 27 June 2024. Statistics for the period 1 January to 31 March 2024 will be published on 25 April 2024. The publication dates have been announced on the GOV.UK release calendar.

If you have a question about Companies House statistics, email statistics@companieshouse.gov.uk.

8. Related links

Statistics at Companies House
Reports released regularly. Annual and quarterly statistics produced by Companies House and published on GOV.UK

Open data products at Companies House
Data updated regularly. Information about the open data products that Companies House offers is available on GOV.UK

Find and update company information
Register updated regularly. Company information can be found and updated on GOV.UK; advanced search capabilities are also available

Companies House API overview
Service updated regularly. Free, fully documented API, which provides access to real-time updates on companies

API support
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