Business demography by area and year

Standard shorthand is used in this table: [p] = provisional, [t] = total, [x] = not available.

Data values	Data description	Year	Area
242,540	Births	2002	United Kingdom
[x]	Births	2002	Great Britain
[x]	Births	2002	England
[x]	Births	2002	North East
[x]	Births	2002	North West
[x]	Births	2002	Yorkshire and the Humber
[x]	Births	2002	East Midlands
[x]	Births	2002	West Midlands
[x]	Births	2002	East
[x]	Births	2002	London
[x]	Births	2002	South East
[x]	Births	2002	South West
8,970 [t]	Births	2002	Wales
2,100 [t]	Births	2002	North Wales
180	Births	2002	Isle of Anglesey
445	Births	2002	Gwynedd
345	Births	2002	Conwy
325	Births	2002	Denbighshire
480	Births	2002	Flintshire
325	Births	2002	Wrexham
2,775 [t]	Births	2002	Mid and South West Wales
800 [t]	Births	2002	Mid Wales
505	Births	2002	Powys
295	Births	2002	Ceredigion
1,975 [t]	Births	2002	South West Wales
430	Births	2002	Pembrokeshire
615	Births	2002	Carmarthenshire
645	Births	2002	Swansea
285	Births	2002	Neath Port Talbot
4,095 [t]	Births	2002	South East Wales
430	Births	2002	Bridgend
420	Births	2002	Vale of Glamorgan
1,110	Births	2002	Cardiff
535	Births	2002	Rhondda Cynon Taf
110	Births	2002	Merthyr Tydfil
375	Births	2002	Caerphilly
95	Births	2002	Blaenau Gwent
225	Births	2002	Torfaen
365	Births	2002	Monmouthshire
430	Births	2002	Newport
[x]	Births	2002	Scotland
[x]	Births	2002	Northern Ireland
267,000	Births	2003	United Kingdom
[x]	Births	2003	Great Britain
[x]	Births	2003	England
[x]	Births	2003	North East
[x]	Births	2003	North West
[x]	Births	2003	Yorkshire and the Humber
[x]	Births	2003	East Midlands
[x]	Births	2003	West Midlands
[x]	Births	2003	East
[x]	Births	2003	London
[x]	Births	2003	South East
[x]	Births	2003	South West
11,045 [t]	Births	2003	Wales
2,365 [t]	Births	2003	North Wales
220	Births	2003	Isle of Anglesey
470	Births	2003	Gwynedd
465	Births	2003	Conwy
375	Births	2003	Denbighshire
470	Births	2003	Flintshire
365	Births	2003	Wrexham
3,705 [t]	Births	2003	Mid and South West Wales
970 [t]	Births	2003	Mid Wales
625	Births	2003	Powys
345	Births	2003	Ceredigion
2,735 [t]	Births	2003	South West Wales
575	Births	2003	Pembrokeshire
750	Births	2003	Carmarthenshire
975	Births	2003	Swansea
435	Births	2003	Neath Port Talbot
4,975 [t]	Births	2003	South East Wales
475	Births	2003	Bridgend
505	Births	2003	Vale of Glamorgan
1,315	Births	2003	Cardiff
590	Births	2003	Rhondda Cynon Taf
120	Births	2003	Merthyr Tydfil
525	Births	2003	Caerphilly
165	Births	2003	Blaenau Gwent
255	Births	2003	Torfaen
500	Births	2003	Monmouthshire
525	Births	2003	Newport
[x]	Births	2003	Scotland
[x]	Births	2003	Northern Ireland
280,080 [t]	Births	2004	United Kingdom
274,350 [t]	Births	2004	Great Britain
248,450 [t]	Births	2004	England
7,645	Births	2004	North East
28,845	Births	2004	North West
20,470	Births	2004	Yorkshire and the Humber
18,805	Births	2004	East Midlands
23,010	Births	2004	West Midlands
27,600	Births	2004	East
53,620	Births	2004	London
44,345	Births	2004	South East
24,110	Births	2004	South West
11,525 [t]	Births	2004	Wales
2,620 [t]	Births	2004	North Wales
270	Births	2004	Isle of Anglesey
435	Births	2004	Gwynedd

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Main information

• Most recent update: 24 September 2025
• Next update expected: December 2025
• Designation: Accredited official statistics
• Data provider 1: Office for National Statistics (ONS)
• Data source 1: Business demography
• Data provider 2: Office for National Statistics (ONS)
• Data source 2: Mid-year population estimates

Data notes

• Rounding applied:

  Business births, deaths and active enterprises have been rounded to the nearest 5, rates are rounded to 1 decimal place, and per 10,000 population to the nearest whole number.

Overview

• Summary of dataset and variables:

  This dataset details business births, deaths and active enterprises by measure, area and year.

  Active enterprises are businesses that had either turnover or employment at any time during the reference period (December to December).

  A birth is defined as a business that was present in year t, but did not exist in year t-1 or t-2. Births are identified by making a comparison of annual active population files and identifying those present in the latest one, but not the two previous ones.

  A death is defined as a business that was on the active file in year t but no longer present on the active file for year t+1 or t+2. To produce more timely statistics, the UK business demography statistics contain a preliminary death indicator, which includes an adjustment for estimated reactivations. Reactivations occur where a business becomes dormant for a period of less than 2 years, then recommences activity in a manner which complies with a definition of continuity. If the definition of continuity is not met (e.g. if a business recommences activity but at a different location and with a different activity), this would be considered a death followed by a birth. Reactivations can also occur due to lags in the administrative data source (VAT/PAYE) so that a business that continues to trade can appear to die. The deaths data exclude losses to the population as a result of mergers, break-ups, split-offs or other re-structuring.

• Data collection or calculation:

  ONS use data from the IDBR to produce business demography statistics, using guidelines found in the Eurostat/OECD manual on Business Demography. The starting point for demography is the concept of a population of active businesses in a reference year. These are defined as businesses that had either turnover or employment at any time during the reference period. Births and deaths are then identified by comparing active populations for different years.

  Birth and death rates are calculated as a percentage of active enterprises.

  Births, deaths and active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 are calculated using ONS' population estimates, which are currently available up to 2023.

• Statistical quality:

  Totals may differ slightly between the area and industry breakdowns due to the disclosure control methods used.

  Please note, levels for Welsh economic regions and all rates (including per 10,000 population figures) have been calculated using the rounded figures, published by the Office for National Statistics.

  The latest two years' estimates on deaths are subject to revision, which would normally be made in the following year's publication.

• Related reports:
  • Welsh Government - Business demography (English)
  • Welsh Government - Business demography (Welsh)
  • ONS - Business demography (English)
  • ONS - Business demography quality and methodology information (English)

Published by

• Organisation: Welsh Government
• Contact email: economic.stats@gov.wales

Metadata

The metadata for this dataset is not included when you download the data. You can download this separately. This contains all the information from the 'About this dataset' tab.