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Company Formations in 2020: Dorset

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???? Businesses formed in Dorset during 2020

4.8% fewer companies in Dorset compared to 2019

New businesses in Dorset mapped

Bournemouth 2,221 formed

Christchurch 304 formed

East Dorset 671 formed

North Dorset 380 formed

Poole 1,552 formed

Purbeck 1,233 formed

West Dorset 652 formed

Weymouth and Portland 230 formed

Companies formed in 2020 league table

The counties in England where most companies are formed, and how Dorset compares.

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Rank
County
No. Companies formed
Rank County No. Companies formed
1st 2019: 1st
London
270,114
2nd 2019: 3rd
West Midlands
37,202
3rd 2019: 2nd
Greater Manchester
36,288
4th 2019: 4th
West Yorkshire
22,615
5th 2019: 5th
Essex
19,277
26th 2019: 19th
Dorset
7,253
Rank
County
No. Companies formed
Rank County No. Companies formed
7th 2019: 8th
Hampshire
15,534
26th 2019: 19th
Dorset
7,253
27th 2019: 28th
Devon
7,174
31st 2019: 31st
Somerset
6,432
39th 2019: 39th
Wiltshire
4,645
46th 2019: 46th
Isle of Wight
765
Rank
County
No. Companies formed
Rank County No. Companies formed
1st 2019: 1st
London
270,114
2nd 2019: 3rd
West Midlands
37,202
3rd 2019: 2nd
Greater Manchester
36,288
4th 2019: 4th
West Yorkshire
22,615
5th 2019: 5th
Essex
19,277
6th 2019: 6th
Kent
18,501
7th 2019: 8th
Hampshire
15,534
8th 2019: 7th
Hertfordshire
14,464
9th 2019: 10th
Merseyside
13,410
10th 2019: 11th
Lancashire
12,655
11th 2019: 13th
Leicestershire
12,543
12th 2019: 12th
Surrey
11,997
13th 2019: 9th
Cheshire
11,017
14th 2019: 15th
South Yorkshire
10,450
15th 2019: 16th
Berkshire
9,920
16th 2019: 17th
Buckinghamshire
9,394
17th 2019: 21st
Nottinghamshire
8,760
18th 2019: 26th
Bedfordshire
8,238
19th 2019: 22nd
North Yorkshire
8,200
20th 2019: 20th
East Sussex
8,149
21st 2019: 23rd
Tyne and Wear
7,867
22nd 2019: 24th
Staffordshire
7,720
23rd 2019: 18th
Northamptonshire
7,534
24th 2019: 25th
Cambridgeshire
7,516
25th 2019: 27th
Derbyshire
7,413
26th 2019: 19th
Dorset
7,253
27th 2019: 28th
Devon
7,174
28th 2019: 14th
Worcestershire
6,955
29th 2019: 29th
West Sussex
6,880
30th 2019: 30th
Lincolnshire
6,475
31st 2019: 31st
Somerset
6,432
32nd 2019: 32nd
Gloucestershire
6,419
33rd 2019: 35th
Bristol
5,559
34th 2019: 34th
Oxfordshire
5,363
35th 2019: 38th
Suffolk
5,105
36th 2019: 37th
Durham
5,083
37th 2019: 36th
Norfolk
5,006
38th 2019: 33rd
Warwickshire
4,920
39th 2019: 39th
Wiltshire
4,645
40th 2019: 40th
East Riding of Yorkshire
3,667
41st 2019: 41st
Shropshire
3,386
42nd 2019: 42nd
Cornwall
2,951
43rd 2019: 43rd
Cumbria
2,333
44th 2019: 45th
Herefordshire
2,327
45th 2019: 44th
Northumberland
1,560
46th 2019: 46th
Isle of Wight
765
47th 2019: 47th
Rutland
410

New incorporations in 2020 per 1000 Man standing people

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In Dorset

9.7

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National Average

12.3

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Type of companies formed in Dorset breakdown

97% Private Limited Companies (7,033 companies)

3% Other company types (220 companies)

Other company types breakdown (220 companies)

Total companies in Dorset by the end of 2020

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Businesses formed in Dorset during 2020

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Businesses dissolved in Dorset during 2020

meaning there is a total of

54,841

businesses registered in Dorset at the end of 2020.

4.8% fewer companies in Dorset compared to 2019

Surrounding counties 2020 breakdown & comparison

Hampshire

121,331 total businesses
15,534 formed in 2020
9,709 dissolved in 2020

Somerset

55,092 total businesses
6,432 formed in 2020
3,899 dissolved in 2020

Devon

57,278 total businesses
7,174 formed in 2020
3,994 dissolved in 2020

Isle of Wight

6,118 total businesses
765 formed in 2020
398 dissolved in 2020

Wiltshire

39,022 total businesses
4,645 formed in 2020
3,195 dissolved in 2020

Dorset

54,841 total businesses
7,253 formed in 2020
4,938 dissolved in 2020

SuffolkNorfolkCambridgeshireDorsetIsle of WightHampshireWiltshireSomersetDevon

Ward breakdown data for

Ward
Dissolutions
Incorporations
Net Change
Ward Dissolutions Incorporations Net Change
Boscombe East
86
151
65
Boscombe West
70
125
55
Central
206
369
163
East Cliff and Springbourne
79
156
77
East Southbourne and Tuckton
38
65
27
Kinson North
21
48
27
Kinson South
28
71
43
Littledown and Iford
291
254
-37
Moordown
36
99
63
Queen's Park
74
133
59
Redhill and Northbourne
35
54
19
Strouden Park
48
59
11
Talbot and Branksome Woods
47
87
40
Throop and Muscliff
35
77
42
Wallisdown and Winton West
34
66
32
West Southbourne
37
91
54
Westbourne and West Cliff
125
221
96
Winton East
47
95
48
Ward
Dissolutions
Incorporations
Net Change
Ward Dissolutions Incorporations Net Change
Burton and Winkton
12
12
0
Grange
12
26
14
Highcliffe
12
17
5
Jumpers
10
17
7
Mudeford and Friars Cliff
11
15
4
North Highcliffe and Walkford
14
13
-1
Portfield
24
32
8
Purewell and Stanpit
12
33
21
St Catherine's and Hurn
26
43
17
Town Centre
62
66
4
West Highcliffe
14
30
16
Ward
Dissolutions
Incorporations
Net Change
Ward Dissolutions Incorporations Net Change
Alderholt
9
7
-2
Ameysford
5
13
8
Colehill East
30
25
-5
Colehill West
8
12
4
Corfe Mullen
38
47
9
Crane
22
37
15
Ferndown Central
28
55
27
Hampreston & Longham
82
104
22
Handley Vale
8
16
8
Parley
23
29
6
St Leonards
35
70
35
Stour
10
21
11
Verwood East
16
38
22
Verwood West
16
19
3
West Moors & Holt
34
55
21
Wimborne Minster
78
123
45
Ward
Dissolutions
Incorporations
Net Change
Ward Dissolutions Incorporations Net Change
Abbey
12
17
5
Blackmore
10
10
0
Blandford Central
9
22
13
Blandford Hilltop
16
18
2
Blandford Langton St Leonards
7
8
1
Blandford Old Town
15
37
22
Bulbarrow
3
8
5
Gillingham Rural
6
13
7
Gillingham Town
29
35
6
Hill Forts
18
38
20
Lower Tarrants
15
24
9
Lydden Vale
8
6
-2
Motcombe & Bourton
11
18
7
Riversdale & Portman
10
19
9
Shaftesbury East
11
23
12
Shaftesbury West
25
31
6
Sturminster Newton
12
26
14
The Beacon
5
9
4
The Stours & Marnhull
14
18
4
Ward
Dissolutions
Incorporations
Net Change
Ward Dissolutions Incorporations Net Change
Alderney
41
57
16
Branksome East
900
173
-727
Branksome West
28
61
33
Broadstone
70
96
26
Canford Cliffs
72
104
32
Canford Heath East
16
46
30
Canford Heath West
36
58
22
Creekmoor
43
57
14
Hamworthy East
17
36
19
Hamworthy West
20
51
31
Merley & Bearwood
16
36
20
Newtown
32
78
46
Oakdale
37
84
47
Parkstone
152
232
80
Penn Hill
52
99
47
Poole Town
132
284
152
Ward
Dissolutions
Incorporations
Net Change
Ward Dissolutions Incorporations Net Change
Bere Regis
3
7
4
Broadmayne & Crossways
11
17
6
Castle
6
10
4
Creech Barrow
2
10
8
Langton
7
5
-2
Lulworth and Winfrith
7
4
-3
Lytchett Matravers
126
971
845
Lytchett Minster and Upton East
20
34
14
Lytchett Minster and Upton West
16
29
13
St Martin
14
22
8
Swanage North
45
62
17
Swanage South
9
21
12
Wareham
15
18
3
Wool
9
40
31
Ward
Dissolutions
Incorporations
Net Change
Ward Dissolutions Incorporations Net Change
Beaminster
8
15
7
Bridport North
26
27
1
Bridport South
24
34
10
Broadmayne & Crossways
11
17
6
Broadwindsor
5
12
7
Burton Bradstock
4
9
5
Cerne Valley
10
17
7
Chickerell & Chesil Bank
75
114
39
Chideock & Symondsbury
7
6
-1
Dorchester East
5
7
2
Dorchester North
144
138
-6
Dorchester South
13
15
2
Dorchester West
90
66
-24
Frome Valley
7
16
9
Lyme Regis & Charmouth
29
25
-4
Maiden Newton
5
3
-2
Netherbury
7
7
0
Piddle Valley
9
11
2
Puddletown
5
13
8
Queen Thorne
15
26
11
Sherborne East
20
36
16
Sherborne West
14
13
-1
Winterbourne St Martin
6
16
10
Yetminster & Cam Vale
23
9
-14
Ward
Dissolutions
Incorporations
Net Change
Ward Dissolutions Incorporations Net Change
Littlemoor
7
9
2
Melcombe Regis
38
57
19
Preston
13
13
0
Radipole
7
15
8
Tophill East
3
11
8
Tophill West
8
15
7
Underhill
12
25
13
Upwey and Broadwey
11
18
7
Westham East
7
9
2
Westham North
10
7
-3
Westham West
9
8
-1
Wey Valley
10
8
-2
Weymouth East
12
12
0
Weymouth West
12
11
-1
Wyke Regis
8
12
4

Total companies 2020 league table

The counties in England where the most existing companies were based at the end of 2020 and how Dorset compares to them.

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Rank
County
Total companies
Rank County Total companies
1st 2019: 1st
London
1,338,261
2nd 2019: 2nd
Greater Manchester
207,946
3rd 2019: 3rd
West Midlands
191,692
4th 2019: 4th
Essex
137,310
5th 2019: 5th
West Yorkshire
135,276
25th 2019: 18th
Dorset
54,841
Rank
County
Total companies
Rank County Total companies
7th 2019: 6th
Hampshire
121,331
19th 2019: 20th
Devon
57,278
23rd 2019: 23rd
Somerset
55,092
25th 2019: 18th
Dorset
54,841
37th 2019: 36th
Wiltshire
39,022
46th 2019: 46th
Isle of Wight
6,118
Rank
County
Total companies
Rank County Total companies
1st 2019: 1st
London
1,338,261
2nd 2019: 2nd
Greater Manchester
207,946
3rd 2019: 3rd
West Midlands
191,692
4th 2019: 4th
Essex
137,310
5th 2019: 5th
West Yorkshire
135,276
6th 2019: 7th
Kent
122,694
7th 2019: 6th
Hampshire
121,331
8th 2019: 8th
Hertfordshire
117,796
9th 2019: 9th
Surrey
105,715
10th 2019: 10th
Cheshire
86,796
11th 2019: 11th
Lancashire
83,690
12th 2019: 14th
Merseyside
74,780
13th 2019: 13th
Buckinghamshire
73,748
14th 2019: 12th
Berkshire
73,492
15th 2019: 16th
Leicestershire
71,425
16th 2019: 15th
East Sussex
70,311
17th 2019: 17th
South Yorkshire
65,398
18th 2019: 19th
North Yorkshire
58,526
19th 2019: 20th
Devon
57,278
20th 2019: 21st
West Sussex
56,212
21st 2019: 25th
Nottinghamshire
56,199
22nd 2019: 22nd
Gloucestershire
55,106
23rd 2019: 23rd
Somerset
55,092
24th 2019: 24th
Staffordshire
54,862
25th 2019: 18th
Dorset
54,841
26th 2019: 26th
Cambridgeshire
54,497
27th 2019: 27th
Northamptonshire
52,017
28th 2019: 28th
Derbyshire
51,742
29th 2019: 29th
Lincolnshire
48,061
30th 2019: 30th
Tyne and Wear
47,790
31st 2019: 33rd
Bedfordshire
46,207
32nd 2019: 32nd
Oxfordshire
45,071
33rd 2019: 31st
Worcestershire
44,570
34th 2019: 35th
Norfolk
41,185
35th 2019: 34th
Warwickshire
40,304
36th 2019: 37th
Suffolk
39,507
37th 2019: 36th
Wiltshire
39,022
38th 2019: 38th
Bristol
36,208
39th 2019: 39th
Durham
31,943
40th 2019: 40th
East Riding of Yorkshire
26,864
41st 2019: 41st
Shropshire
25,603
42nd 2019: 42nd
Cornwall
23,804
43rd 2019: 43rd
Cumbria
22,186
44th 2019: 45th
Herefordshire
12,800
45th 2019: 44th
Northumberland
11,575
46th 2019: 46th
Isle of Wight
6,118
47th 2019: 47th
Rutland
2,257

Total companies at the end of 2020 per 1000 Person people

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In Dorset

73.6

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National Average

76.4

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The last 5 years

How the total number of companies in Dorset has changed over the last 5 years as new companies have been formed and some existing companies dissolved.

2016

8,113 formed

4,726 dissolved

2017

7,242 formed

5,040 dissolved

2018

8,314 formed

5,575 dissolved

2019

8,020 formed

6,434 dissolved

2020

7,253 formed

4,938 dissolved

Overall growth compared to previous year

3.95% vs 2016

7.43% vs 2017

2.31% vs 2018

-4.8% vs 2019