Where UK Businesses Are Growing Fastest (2024)
Not every UK region creates businesses at the same pace. Ranked by official ONS data, London had the highest business birth rate in 2024 at 12.8% — well above the UK average of 11.1%.
Quick answer
In 2024, London had the UK's highest business birth rate (12.8%), and London added the most businesses in absolute terms (net +15,000). The UK-wide birth rate was 11.1%. North West had the highest closure rate (10.6%). All figures are from the Office for National Statistics under the Open Government Licence.
UK regions ranked by business birth rate
Birth rate = new businesses as a share of the active business stock. A higher rate means a faster-refreshing market with more first-time buyers and fewer entrenched vendors.
| # | Region / nation | Birth rate | New businesses | Net change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | London | 12.8% | 76,000 | +15,000 |
| 2 | North West | 12.0% | 34,000 | +4,000 |
| 3 | West Midlands | 11.8% | 27,000 | +3,000 |
| 4 | North East | 11.7% | 9,000 | +1,000 |
| 5 | Yorkshire and The Humber | 11.5% | 23,000 | +3,000 |
| 6 | East Midlands | 10.6% | 20,000 | +1,000 |
| 7 | East of England | 10.5% | 30,000 | +3,000 |
| 8 | Scotland | 10.5% | 18,000 | +2,000 |
| 9 | Wales | 10.0% | 10,000 | +0 |
| 10 | South East | 10.0% | 43,000 | +4,000 |
| 11 | South West | 9.4% | 22,000 | +1,000 |
| 12 | Northern Ireland | 9.1% | 6,000 | +1,000 |
| United Kingdom (average) | 11.1% | 317,000 | +37,000 |
What this means for your outreach
High-birth-rate regions like London are full of brand-new businesses that have not yet locked in a vendor for most categories — reaching them early is disproportionately valuable. Use the UK market size calculator to total the new-business flow across the regions you target.
Regions with high closure rates such as North West carry more churn risk in an existing customer base, but also signal a market in flux where a better offer can displace a failing incumbent. Pair this view with a clear ICP definition and lead-scoring model before you build the list.
Frequently asked questions
Which UK region has the fastest business growth?
London had the highest business birth rate of any UK region in 2024 — 76,000 new businesses against 595,000 active businesses, a birth rate of 12.8% versus the UK average of 11.1%. By absolute net creation (births minus deaths), London added the most enterprises, with a net change of +15,000.
What is a "business birth rate"?
The business birth rate is the number of new businesses created in a year as a percentage of the active business stock. The UK-wide birth rate in 2024 was 11.1% (317,000 births against 2,860,000 active businesses). A higher birth rate means a faster-refreshing, more dynamic local market.
Which UK region has the highest business closure rate?
North West had the highest business death (closure) rate in 2024 at 10.6% of its active business stock. Closure rates matter for sales teams because a closing business is churn risk, while a region with high births and moderate closures signals healthy turnover and fresh demand.
Where does this data come from?
All figures are from "Office for National Statistics — Business demography, UK: 2024", published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) on 2025-11-20 under the Open Government Licence v3.0 (OGL v3). The rates shown are calculated directly from the published active-business, birth and death counts; no figures are estimated.
Source: Office for National Statistics — Business demography, UK: 2024, Office for National Statistics (ONS). Released 2025-11-20. ONS bulletin.
Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0 (OGL v3) — Crown copyright. Rates are calculated from the published counts; Figures rounded by ONS to the nearest thousand. Regional counts sum to the UK total (verified).
Page last reviewed 2026-06-27.
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