London leads coworking boom – but where’s the rest of the UK?

Flexible working has become increasingly the norm; however, a new report has revealed that remote workers outside London may struggle to find a local coworking spot.

While the UK’s 4,048 shared workspaces make up one of the most extensive networks in the world, nearly a third are coworking spaces in London, finds CoworkingCafe’s Q3 2025 State of the Coworking Industry Report.

And while more spaces are popping up across other major cities like Manchester, Glasgow, there are significant regional gaps when it comes to access to flexible working spaces.

London’s coworking dominance

With 1,191 coworking spaces in total, London accounts for nearly a third of the UK’s shared workspaces. In comparison, Manchester has 120 spaces, followed by Glasgow with 68.

Other major cities, such as Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds, and Edinburgh, have just over 50 coworking hubs each. While these cities are smaller, even accounting for population, the gap remains out of proportion.

Londoners enjoy access to professional, well-equipped workspaces in abundance. This is partly due to coworking chains such as Regus, Fora Regus, Fora, Bruntwood, Workspace Group, and Spaces having multiple sites across the city.

While this gives London-based freelancers and small businesses the luxury of choice, from professional serviced offices to community-driven, creative spaces, those in regional areas may struggle to find similar spaces.

Why regional coworking is lagging

Outside of England, the growth of coworking spaces has been even slower. Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland together account for less than 10% of the UK’s total coworking spaces.

The report states that Cardiff, for instance, has only 40 spaces, while Belfast has around 35, both emerging markets with growing potential but still underserved compared to England, especially London.

London-centrism in the professional world is nothing new, and now it extends to coworking. Lower population density, fewer freelancers and digital professionals, and limited local investment in flexible infrastructure all contribute to slower growth outside the capital.

What this means for sole traders and freelancers

Sole traders and freelancers outside London may stick to working from cafés, restaurants, or home. But while it’s great to support your local, these spaces often lack essentials like reliable WiFi, privacy, networking opportunities, and professional meeting rooms.

Some hospitality operators have criticised workers who use valuable seating space and electricity to do a day’s work while spending very little, ultimately costing the business money. In January, Starbucks announced its facilities are for paying customers only, after its open-door policy invited in a string of remote workers who wouldn’t actually order anything.

Coworking spaces help to avoid these awkward interactions and can also be surprisingly cost-effective. According to CoworkingCafe’s report, the average membership for coworking costs £180 per month. This works out at roughly £9 per day for a full working week, making it a reasonable alternative to daily food and drink expenses.

However, until the regional coworking gap closes, entrepreneurs must continue to balance their laptops between the salt and pepper shakers. New spaces outside of London will be a welcome addition by both supporting sole traders and strengthening local networks.