Business demography by area and year
Contents
Standard shorthand is used in this table: [p] = provisional, [t] = total, [x] = not available.
| Data values | Data description | Year | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| 597 | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2019 | Flintshire |
| 494 | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2019 | Wrexham |
| 573 [t] | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2019 | Mid and South West Wales |
| 725 [t] | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2019 | Mid Wales |
| 762 | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2019 | Powys |
| 661 | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2019 | Ceredigion |
| 529 [t] | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2019 | South West Wales |
| 715 | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2019 | Pembrokeshire |
| 563 | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2019 | Carmarthenshire |
| 509 | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2019 | Swansea |
| 374 | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2019 | Neath Port Talbot |
| 501 [t] | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2019 | South East Wales |
| 469 | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2019 | Bridgend |
| 585 | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2019 | Vale of Glamorgan |
| 522 | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2019 | Cardiff |
| 454 | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2019 | Rhondda Cynon Taf |
| 394 | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2019 | Merthyr Tydfil |
| 419 | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2019 | Caerphilly |
| 326 | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2019 | Blaenau Gwent |
| 426 | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2019 | Torfaen |
| 774 | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2019 | Monmouthshire |
| 577 | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2019 | Newport |
| 517 | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2019 | Scotland |
| 519 | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2019 | Northern Ireland |
| 690 [t] | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2020 | United Kingdom |
| 695 [t] | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2020 | Great Britain |
| 721 [t] | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2020 | England |
| 463 | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2020 | North East |
| 616 | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2020 | North West |
| 582 | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2020 | Yorkshire and the Humber |
| 640 | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2020 | East Midlands |
| 643 | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2020 | West Midlands |
| 741 | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2020 | East |
| 982 | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2020 | London |
| 788 | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2020 | South East |
| 675 | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2020 | South West |
| 539 [t] | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2020 | Wales |
| 590 [t] | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2020 | North Wales |
| 543 | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2020 | Isle of Anglesey |
| 601 | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2020 | Gwynedd |
| 653 | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2020 | Conwy |
| 650 | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2020 | Denbighshire |
| 609 | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2020 | Flintshire |
| 491 | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2020 | Wrexham |
| 580 [t] | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2020 | Mid and South West Wales |
| 716 [t] | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2020 | Mid Wales |
| 757 | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2020 | Powys |
| 646 | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2020 | Ceredigion |
| 542 [t] | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2020 | South West Wales |
| 736 | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2020 | Pembrokeshire |
| 579 | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2020 | Carmarthenshire |
| 518 | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2020 | Swansea |
| 380 | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2020 | Neath Port Talbot |
| 495 [t] | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2020 | South East Wales |
| 472 | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2020 | Bridgend |
| 582 | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2020 | Vale of Glamorgan |
| 527 | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2020 | Cardiff |
| 431 | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2020 | Rhondda Cynon Taf |
| 393 | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2020 | Merthyr Tydfil |
| 425 | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2020 | Caerphilly |
| 336 | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2020 | Blaenau Gwent |
| 424 | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2020 | Torfaen |
| 763 | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2020 | Monmouthshire |
| 537 | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2020 | Newport |
| 512 | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2020 | Scotland |
| 525 | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2020 | Northern Ireland |
| 698 [t] | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2021 | United Kingdom |
| 702 [t] | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2021 | Great Britain |
| 728 [t] | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2021 | England |
| 475 | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2021 | North East |
| 627 | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2021 | North West |
| 594 | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2021 | Yorkshire and the Humber |
| 650 | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2021 | East Midlands |
| 652 | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2021 | West Midlands |
| 744 | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2021 | East |
| 999 | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2021 | London |
| 780 | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2021 | South East |
| 683 | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2021 | South West |
| 559 [t] | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2021 | Wales |
| 607 [t] | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2021 | North Wales |
| 561 | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2021 | Isle of Anglesey |
| 622 | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2021 | Gwynedd |
| 673 | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2021 | Conwy |
| 662 | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2021 | Denbighshire |
| 629 | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2021 | Flintshire |
| 502 | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2021 | Wrexham |
| 594 [t] | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2021 | Mid and South West Wales |
| 730 [t] | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2021 | Mid Wales |
| 766 | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2021 | Powys |
| 667 | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2021 | Ceredigion |
| 555 [t] | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2021 | South West Wales |
| 748 | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2021 | Pembrokeshire |
| 603 | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2021 | Carmarthenshire |
| 522 | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2021 | Swansea |
| 392 | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2021 | Neath Port Talbot |
| 519 [t] | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2021 | South East Wales |
| 504 | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2021 | Bridgend |
| 614 | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2021 | Vale of Glamorgan |
| 566 | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2021 | Cardiff |
| 477 | Active enterprises per 10,000 of the population aged 16 to 64 | 2021 | Rhondda Cynon Taf |
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.
Published by
- Organisation
- Welsh Government
- Contact email
- economic.stats@gov.wales