New Company Incorporations · UK (Quarterly, Companies House)

## What this measures

The number of companies incorporated in the United Kingdom in a quarter, as Companies House counts them in its official statistics (all company types; limited liability partnerships are counted separately and are not included). Dated at the start of the quarter.

## Why it matters

Incorporations are the most direct count of new businesses being set up in the UK. They lead hiring and investment by small firms, and they also respond to tax changes that make trading through a company more or less attractive.

## How to read it

The series starts in 2012 Q2 at 118,503. The latest reading, for 2026 Q2, is 192,287. The high is 244,717 (2024 Q1) and the low 116,163 (2012 Q3). Compare a quarter with the same quarter a year earlier: January to March is usually the busiest.

## What it does not say

An incorporation is not a trading business: many new companies stay dormant, hold property or exist for one contract, and some are formed in bulk by agents. The count says nothing about size or survival.

## Source

Companies House, "Incorporated companies in the UK" (quarterly official statistics on GOV.UK), table of quarterly register movements by jurisdiction, 2012 on; from the April to June 2026 release, the sum of the release's monthly figures. Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Companies House.