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Company Formations in 2021: Dorset

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???? Businesses formed in Dorset during 2021

3.0% more companies in Dorset compared to 2020

New businesses in Dorset mapped

Bournemouth 2,166 formed

Christchurch 292 formed

East Dorset 639 formed

North Dorset 312 formed

Poole 1,473 formed

Purbeck 1,739 formed

West Dorset 676 formed

Weymouth and Portland 273 formed

Companies formed in 2021 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 2020: 1st
London
269,246
2nd 2020: 2nd
West Midlands
36,485
3rd 2020: 3rd
Greater Manchester
36,442
4th 2020: 4th
West Yorkshire
22,140
5th 2020: 5th
Essex
18,584
22nd 2020: 26th
Dorset
7,584
Rank
County
No. Companies formed
Rank County No. Companies formed
7th 2020: 7th
Hampshire
14,512
22nd 2020: 26th
Dorset
7,584
28th 2020: 31st
Somerset
7,057
30th 2020: 27th
Devon
6,825
39th 2020: 39th
Wiltshire
4,432
46th 2020: 46th
Isle of Wight
697
Rank
County
No. Companies formed
Rank County No. Companies formed
1st 2020: 1st
London
269,246
2nd 2020: 2nd
West Midlands
36,485
3rd 2020: 3rd
Greater Manchester
36,442
4th 2020: 4th
West Yorkshire
22,140
5th 2020: 5th
Essex
18,584
6th 2020: 6th
Kent
16,625
7th 2020: 7th
Hampshire
14,512
8th 2020: 8th
Hertfordshire
13,899
9th 2020: 9th
Merseyside
13,108
10th 2020: 10th
Lancashire
12,800
11th 2020: 12th
Surrey
11,021
12th 2020: 14th
South Yorkshire
10,815
13th 2020: 13th
Cheshire
9,800
14th 2020: 11th
Leicestershire
9,685
15th 2020: 15th
Berkshire
9,605
16th 2020: 16th
Buckinghamshire
8,910
17th 2020: 17th
Nottinghamshire
8,810
18th 2020: 22nd
Staffordshire
8,541
19th 2020: 20th
East Sussex
7,675
20th 2020: 21st
Tyne and Wear
7,623
21st 2020: 19th
North Yorkshire
7,614
22nd 2020: 26th
Dorset
7,584
23rd 2020: 24th
Cambridgeshire
7,476
24th 2020: 18th
Bedfordshire
7,413
25th 2020: 28th
Worcestershire
7,361
26th 2020: 25th
Derbyshire
7,261
27th 2020: 23rd
Northamptonshire
7,131
28th 2020: 31st
Somerset
7,057
29th 2020: 30th
Lincolnshire
6,903
30th 2020: 27th
Devon
6,825
31st 2020: 29th
West Sussex
6,463
32nd 2020: 32nd
Gloucestershire
6,357
33rd 2020: 35th
Suffolk
5,445
34th 2020: 37th
Norfolk
5,214
35th 2020: 33rd
Bristol
5,125
36th 2020: 38th
Warwickshire
5,117
37th 2020: 36th
Durham
5,065
38th 2020: 34th
Oxfordshire
5,053
39th 2020: 39th
Wiltshire
4,432
40th 2020: 40th
East Riding of Yorkshire
3,749
41st 2020: 42nd
Cornwall
2,993
42nd 2020: 41st
Shropshire
2,914
43rd 2020: 44th
Herefordshire
2,858
44th 2020: 43rd
Cumbria
2,286
45th 2020: 45th
Northumberland
1,421
46th 2020: 46th
Isle of Wight
697
47th 2020: 47th
Rutland
195

New incorporations in 2021 per 1000 Man standing people

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In Dorset

10.2

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National Average

12.2

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Type of companies formed in Dorset breakdown

97% Private Limited Companies (7,323 companies)

3% Other company types (261 companies)

Other company types breakdown (261 companies)

Total companies in Dorset by the end of 2021

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Businesses formed in Dorset during 2021

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Businesses dissolved in Dorset during 2021

Due to restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, Companies House did not always process company dissolutions as soon as the standard conditions for dissolution were first met.

meaning there is a total of

56,465

businesses registered in Dorset at the end of 2021.

3.0% more companies in Dorset compared to 2020

Surrounding counties 2021 breakdown & comparison

Hampshire

123,584 total businesses
14,512 formed in 2021
13,410 dissolved in 2021

Somerset

57,300 total businesses
7,057 formed in 2021
5,667 dissolved in 2021

Devon

60,022 total businesses
6,825 formed in 2021
5,551 dissolved in 2021

Isle of Wight

6,319 total businesses
697 formed in 2021
563 dissolved in 2021

Wiltshire

39,338 total businesses
4,432 formed in 2021
4,387 dissolved in 2021

Dorset

56,465 total businesses
7,584 formed in 2021
6,001 dissolved in 2021

SuffolkNorfolkCambridgeshireDorsetIsle of WightHampshireWiltshireSomersetDevon

Ward breakdown data for

Ward
Dissolutions
Incorporations
Net Change
Ward Dissolutions Incorporations Net Change
Boscombe East
116
139
23
Boscombe West
105
133
28
Central
280
366
86
East Cliff and Springbourne
118
123
5
East Southbourne and Tuckton
58
60
2
Kinson North
33
50
17
Kinson South
49
92
43
Littledown and Iford
401
260
-141
Moordown
65
83
18
Queen's Park
102
156
54
Redhill and Northbourne
41
46
5
Strouden Park
40
56
16
Talbot and Branksome Woods
68
93
25
Throop and Muscliff
43
74
31
Wallisdown and Winton West
62
66
4
West Southbourne
57
87
30
Westbourne and West Cliff
184
193
9
Winton East
73
89
16
Ward
Dissolutions
Incorporations
Net Change
Ward Dissolutions Incorporations Net Change
Burton and Winkton
14
20
6
Grange
27
26
-1
Highcliffe
10
6
-4
Jumpers
13
11
-2
Mudeford and Friars Cliff
20
20
0
North Highcliffe and Walkford
13
18
5
Portfield
23
29
6
Purewell and Stanpit
34
24
-10
St Catherine's and Hurn
37
52
15
Town Centre
49
64
15
West Highcliffe
22
22
0
Ward
Dissolutions
Incorporations
Net Change
Ward Dissolutions Incorporations Net Change
Alderholt
17
8
-9
Ameysford
6
6
0
Colehill East
27
42
15
Colehill West
16
14
-2
Corfe Mullen
39
33
-6
Crane
19
46
27
Ferndown Central
46
59
13
Hampreston & Longham
73
88
15
Handley Vale
17
17
0
Parley
22
18
-4
St Leonards
51
59
8
Stour
15
15
0
Verwood East
26
35
9
Verwood West
20
33
13
West Moors & Holt
33
34
1
Wimborne Minster
85
132
47
Ward
Dissolutions
Incorporations
Net Change
Ward Dissolutions Incorporations Net Change
Abbey
21
17
-4
Blackmore
16
22
6
Blandford Central
14
12
-2
Blandford Hilltop
14
20
6
Blandford Langton St Leonards
7
1
-6
Blandford Old Town
18
19
1
Bulbarrow
8
12
4
Gillingham Rural
13
13
0
Gillingham Town
39
38
-1
Hill Forts
27
26
-1
Lower Tarrants
14
10
-4
Lydden Vale
6
6
0
Motcombe & Bourton
14
13
-1
Riversdale & Portman
14
6
-8
Shaftesbury East
20
20
0
Shaftesbury West
24
28
4
Sturminster Newton
22
23
1
The Beacon
1
8
7
The Stours & Marnhull
14
18
4
Ward
Dissolutions
Incorporations
Net Change
Ward Dissolutions Incorporations Net Change
Alderney
55
73
18
Branksome East
352
105
-247
Branksome West
37
58
21
Broadstone
82
84
2
Canford Cliffs
75
94
19
Canford Heath East
26
31
5
Canford Heath West
48
56
8
Creekmoor
66
97
31
Hamworthy East
39
48
9
Hamworthy West
45
58
13
Merley & Bearwood
36
33
-3
Newtown
64
104
40
Oakdale
50
72
22
Parkstone
195
236
41
Penn Hill
65
99
34
Poole Town
213
225
12
Ward
Dissolutions
Incorporations
Net Change
Ward Dissolutions Incorporations Net Change
Bere Regis
2
5
3
Broadmayne & Crossways
14
18
4
Castle
4
4
0
Creech Barrow
6
6
0
Langton
5
2
-3
Lulworth and Winfrith
3
6
3
Lytchett Matravers
458
1484
1026
Lytchett Minster and Upton East
18
31
13
Lytchett Minster and Upton West
19
10
-9
St Martin
16
45
29
Swanage North
46
79
33
Swanage South
23
14
-9
Wareham
20
30
10
Wool
33
22
-11
Ward
Dissolutions
Incorporations
Net Change
Ward Dissolutions Incorporations Net Change
Beaminster
17
25
8
Bridport North
17
26
9
Bridport South
41
27
-14
Broadmayne & Crossways
14
18
4
Broadwindsor
8
12
4
Burton Bradstock
8
6
-2
Cerne Valley
11
22
11
Chickerell & Chesil Bank
98
113
15
Chideock & Symondsbury
12
14
2
Dorchester East
12
9
-3
Dorchester North
202
150
-52
Dorchester South
15
16
1
Dorchester West
91
54
-37
Frome Valley
7
10
3
Lyme Regis & Charmouth
21
17
-4
Maiden Newton
4
13
9
Netherbury
9
12
3
Piddle Valley
10
13
3
Puddletown
13
9
-4
Queen Thorne
12
37
25
Sherborne East
20
34
14
Sherborne West
19
18
-1
Winterbourne St Martin
9
7
-2
Yetminster & Cam Vale
18
15
-3
Ward
Dissolutions
Incorporations
Net Change
Ward Dissolutions Incorporations Net Change
Littlemoor
9
11
2
Melcombe Regis
45
69
24
Preston
23
16
-7
Radipole
9
14
5
Tophill East
6
12
6
Tophill West
6
18
12
Underhill
18
22
4
Upwey and Broadwey
15
14
-1
Westham East
9
15
6
Westham North
13
15
2
Westham West
6
5
-1
Wey Valley
4
13
9
Weymouth East
14
13
-1
Weymouth West
11
15
4
Wyke Regis
15
21
6

Total companies 2021 league table

The counties in England where the most existing companies were based at the end of 2021 and how Dorset compares to them.

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Rank
County
Total companies
Rank County Total companies
1st 2020: 1st
London
1,397,474
2nd 2020: 2nd
Greater Manchester
217,557
3rd 2020: 3rd
West Midlands
198,781
4th 2020: 4th
Essex
141,948
5th 2020: 5th
West Yorkshire
141,120
25th 2020: 25th
Dorset
56,465
Rank
County
Total companies
Rank County Total companies
7th 2020: 7th
Hampshire
123,584
18th 2020: 19th
Devon
60,022
23rd 2020: 23rd
Somerset
57,300
25th 2020: 25th
Dorset
56,465
37th 2020: 37th
Wiltshire
39,338
46th 2020: 46th
Isle of Wight
6,319
Rank
County
Total companies
Rank County Total companies
1st 2020: 1st
London
1,397,474
2nd 2020: 2nd
Greater Manchester
217,557
3rd 2020: 3rd
West Midlands
198,781
4th 2020: 4th
Essex
141,948
5th 2020: 5th
West Yorkshire
141,120
6th 2020: 6th
Kent
126,550
7th 2020: 7th
Hampshire
123,584
8th 2020: 8th
Hertfordshire
118,798
9th 2020: 9th
Surrey
106,792
10th 2020: 11th
Lancashire
87,562
11th 2020: 10th
Cheshire
83,426
12th 2020: 12th
Merseyside
78,022
13th 2020: 14th
Berkshire
75,011
14th 2020: 13th
Buckinghamshire
74,634
15th 2020: 15th
Leicestershire
71,867
16th 2020: 16th
East Sussex
70,862
17th 2020: 17th
South Yorkshire
68,227
18th 2020: 19th
Devon
60,022
19th 2020: 18th
North Yorkshire
59,819
20th 2020: 21st
Nottinghamshire
58,780
21st 2020: 20th
West Sussex
57,619
22nd 2020: 24th
Staffordshire
57,556
23rd 2020: 23rd
Somerset
57,300
24th 2020: 22nd
Gloucestershire
56,711
25th 2020: 25th
Dorset
56,465
26th 2020: 26th
Cambridgeshire
56,346
27th 2020: 28th
Derbyshire
53,394
28th 2020: 27th
Northamptonshire
53,149
29th 2020: 29th
Lincolnshire
50,076
30th 2020: 30th
Tyne and Wear
49,266
31st 2020: 31st
Bedfordshire
47,831
32nd 2020: 32nd
Oxfordshire
45,883
33rd 2020: 34th
Norfolk
43,452
34th 2020: 33rd
Worcestershire
42,443
35th 2020: 36th
Suffolk
41,836
36th 2020: 35th
Warwickshire
40,740
37th 2020: 37th
Wiltshire
39,338
38th 2020: 38th
Bristol
36,239
39th 2020: 39th
Durham
33,620
40th 2020: 40th
East Riding of Yorkshire
27,909
41st 2020: 41st
Shropshire
25,765
42nd 2020: 42nd
Cornwall
24,752
43rd 2020: 43rd
Cumbria
22,499
44th 2020: 44th
Herefordshire
14,830
45th 2020: 45th
Northumberland
11,895
46th 2020: 46th
Isle of Wight
6,319
47th 2020: 47th
Rutland
2,056

Total companies at the end of 2021 per 1000 Person people

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In Dorset

75.8

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National Average

79.1

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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.

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

2021

7,584 formed

6,001 dissolved

Overall growth compared to previous year

7.43% vs 2017

2.31% vs 2018

-4.8% vs 2019

3.0% vs 2020