Facts and resources
The numbers behind small business, a quick quiz, and where to find free, trustworthy help.
UK small business in numbers
- 5.7 millionprivate sector businesses in the UK at the start of 2025.Source: Business population estimates 2025, DBT
- 99.2%of UK businesses are small, with fewer than 50 employees. That is 5.64 million businesses.Source: Business population estimates 2025, DBT
- 3 in 4UK businesses (4.3 million) have no employees apart from the owner.Source: Business population estimates 2025, DBT
- 16.9 millionpeople work for small and medium-sized businesses, 60% of all private sector jobs.Source: Business population estimates 2025, DBT
- £2.8 trilliona year in turnover from small and medium-sized businesses, 51% of the private sector total (finance and insurance excluded).Source: Business population estimates 2025, DBT
- 1.04 millionbusinesses in London, more than any other region. England has 5.0 million in all, Scotland 361,000, Wales 194,000 and Northern Ireland 139,000.Source: Business population estimates 2025, DBT
Starting up and keeping going
- 317,000new businesses were born in the UK in 2024.Source: Business demography, UK: 2024, ONS
- 9.8%business death rate in 2024, the lowest since 2016 (provisional figures).Source: Business demography, UK: 2024, ONS
- 38.4%of UK businesses born in 2019 were still trading five years later.Source: Business demography, UK: 2024, ONS
- 76%of SME employers made a profit in their last financial year.Source: Longitudinal Small Business Survey 2025, DBT
- 71%of SME employers aim to grow their sales over the next three years.Source: Longitudinal Small Business Survey 2025, DBT
- 67%of SME employers say tax (VAT, PAYE, National Insurance and business rates) holds them back, the most common obstacle, up from 61% a year earlier.Source: Longitudinal Small Business Survey 2025, DBT
Late payment
- 38 a dayUK businesses close because of late payment, about 14,000 a year.Source: Late payments infographic, DBT
- £11 billiona year is what late payment costs the UK economy, by the government’s estimate (almost £11 billion).Source: Late payments infographic, DBT
- 63%of SME employers who give customers credit say late payment is a problem for them, up 6 points in a year.Source: Longitudinal Small Business Survey 2025, DBT
A new law on late payment is going through Parliament. The Commercial Payments Bill would cap payment terms at 60 days when large firms pay smaller suppliers, make interest on late payments compulsory, and give the Small Business Commissioner powers to investigate and fine persistent late payers. It finished its House of Lords stages on 20 October 2026 and now goes to the House of Commons. It is not yet law. Follow the bill.
Cyber crime and fraud
- 43%of UK businesses spotted a cyber security breach or attack in the past year. For small businesses it was 46%.Source: Cyber security breaches survey 2025/2026, DSIT
- 19%of UK businesses were victims of at least one cyber crime in the past year, about 267,000 businesses.Source: Cyber security breaches survey 2025/2026, DSIT
- 43,000UK businesses (about 3%) were victims of fraud that came from cyber crime.Source: Cyber security breaches survey 2025/2026, DSIT
Our free guide on protecting your business from fraud covers the simple checks that stop most of it.
Small business around the world
- 90%of businesses worldwide are small or medium-sized, providing more than half of all jobs.Source: Small and Medium Enterprises Finance, World Bank
- 36.2 millionsmall businesses in the United States: 99.9% of all businesses, employing 45.9% of private sector workers.Source: FAQ About Small Business 2026, SBA Office of Advocacy
- 98.2%of Canadian employer businesses are small (1 to 99 employees). They employ 5.8 million people, 46.6% of the private workforce.Source: Key Small Business Statistics 2025, ISED Canada
- 97%of Australia’s 2.8 million actively trading businesses are small, with fewer than 20 employees.Sources: ABS, June 2026 and ASBFEO
- 99.8%of active enterprises in Ireland are small or medium-sized, employing 67.9% of people working in business.Source: Business in Ireland 2022, CSO
- 97%of New Zealand’s businesses are small, with fewer than 20 employees.Source: Data for business, business.govt.nz
Countries count businesses in different ways and in different years, so these figures are not directly comparable.
Quick quiz
True or false?
Six quick statements about small business. How many can you get right?
Most UK businesses employ at least one person besides the owner.
About three in four UK businesses (4.3 million) have no employees apart from the owner.
Source: Business population estimates 2025, Department for Business and Trade
More than half of new UK businesses are still trading five years later.
Of the UK businesses born in 2019, 38.4% were still trading five years later.
Source: Business demography, UK: 2024, Office for National Statistics
Late payment forces dozens of UK businesses to close every day.
Government figures put it at about 14,000 closures a year, or 38 a day, and a cost to the economy of almost £11 billion a year.
Source: Late payments infographic, Department for Business and Trade
Small and medium-sized businesses employ most of the UK private sector workforce.
SMEs employ 16.9 million people, 60% of private sector employment.
Source: Business population estimates 2025, Department for Business and Trade
Fewer than one in ten UK businesses had a cyber attack or breach last year.
43% of UK businesses identified a cyber security breach or attack in the past year.
London has more businesses than Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland put together.
London has 1.04 million businesses. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland together have about 694,000.
Source: Business population estimates 2025, Department for Business and Trade
Free help for UK small businesses
All free. Most are run by government or independent public bodies.
Starting and running a business
- Business Support Service
Free government advice for businesses in England on starting, running and growing, including grants, loans and in-depth appointments.
0800 998 1098, Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm - business.gov.uk
The government’s business support website, with guidance, finance finders and tools for the whole UK.
- Business Gateway (Scotland)
Free publicly funded advice, webinars and one-to-one support for businesses in Scotland.
0300 013 4753 - Business Wales
Welsh Government information, guidance and support for businesses in Wales.
03000 6 03000, Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm - nibusinessinfo.co.uk (Northern Ireland)
Free online business guidance from Invest Northern Ireland.
Invest NI: 0800 181 4422 - Register as self-employed with HMRC
How and when sole traders register for Self Assessment. The deadline is 5 October after the end of the tax year.
- Companies House
Setting up and closing limited companies, filing accounts, and identity checks for directors.
- GOV.UK: Business and self-employed
Official guidance on tax, employing people and running a business.
Money and getting paid
- Start Up Loans
Government-backed loans for new businesses, with 12 months of free mentoring. Run by the British Business Bank. Check the site for current rates and limits.
- Office of the Small Business Commissioner
An independent public body that tackles late payment and helps small businesses with payment disputes with larger customers.
Staff and the law
- Acas
Free, impartial advice on employment rights, hiring and workplace disputes, for employers and staff in Great Britain.
0300 123 1100, Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm - ICO: advice for small organisations
Free tools and short guides on data protection for small businesses and sole traders.
Fraud, cyber and scams
- NCSC: small organisations guide to cyber security
Free practical steps on backups, devices, accounts and spotting scams, from the National Cyber Security Centre.
- Report Fraud
The national service for reporting fraud and cyber crime in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It replaced Action Fraud in December 2025. In Scotland, call Police Scotland on 101.
0300 123 2040
Your wellbeing
- Samaritans
If running a business is getting on top of you, talk to someone. Free, confidential support, any time of day or night.
116 123 - Mind: mental health at work
Free information for small businesses and managers on looking after your own wellbeing and your team’s.
About these figures
Every figure on this page comes from an official or public source, linked under each fact. We give the year each source covers, because official figures are often a year or two behind.
Figures checked on 26 October 2026. The UK’s 2026 business population estimates are due on 5 November 2026, and we will update this page when they are out. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.