The number of new companies formed in England during 2021 falls for the first time since 2017.

For the first time since 2017, new company formations in England decreased in 2021, with 684,335 new companies formed during the year – 1.9% less than in 2020 which saw 697,446 new company formations.

Further to this, 543,563 existing companies were dissolved during 2021, an increase of 46.4% on 2020 and also a record high.

Still, the total number of companies registered in England reached an all-time high of 4,416,125 by the end of 2021.

London continued to dominate company formation activity, with 269,246 new companies started in the capital. There were 36,485 companies incorporated in the West Midlands, 36,442 in Greater Manchester, 22,140 in West Yorkshire and 18,584 in Essex. This means that these 5 counties alone account for over 55% of all new incorporations in England.

Our infographic below tells some of the important stories behind those who took the step in 2021 to form a company in England. It offers a visual breakdown of where companies are formed and compares the 2021 performance across England both with previous years and other nations of the UK.

Want to form a new company in England? Take a look at our online company formation service to form your company the easy way.