Starting a business in London:
Borough by borough statistics
In order to get an accurate picture of the levels of start-up activity across London, we at Startups.co.uk have crunched data and statistics from a wealth of sources.
Which borough has the best survival rate? The fastest broadband speed? Or the largest percentage of micro-businesses (employing 0-9) of all enterprises in the borough? From the number of start-ups in each London borough to the working age population qualified to NVQ Level 4 and above, the tables below reflect how each borough ranks as an ideal start-up location.
To discover how each London borough fares per criterion, you can re-order the tables by clicking any of the headings.
You can also view and compare data for other UK cities
The start-up ecosystem
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Average percentage of micro-businesses: 90.8% Average survival rate (2009-2014): 39.1% |
Borough | No. of new start-ups (2014) | No. of new start-ups per sq km (2014) | Survival rate % (2009-2014) | No. of micro businesses (2015) | Micro business % | No. of small businesses (2015) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Barking & Dagenham | 1310 | 36 | 33.3 | 4785 | 91.8 | 355 |
Barnet | 3985 | 45 | 37.6 | 19445 | 93.2 | 1205 |
Bexley | 1455 | 24 | 43.8 | 6930 | 91.3 | 545 |
Brent | 2585 | 59 | 37.4 | 12035 | 91.5 | 925 |
Bromley | 2190 | 14 | 41.7 | 12360 | 91.9 | 885 |
Camden | 4375 | 200 | 38.6 | 22340 | 87.2 | 2520 |
City of London | 2610 | 898 | 36 | 13370 | 80.6 | 2380 |
Croydon | 2390 | 27 | 39.3 | 11850 | 92 | 830 |
Ealing | 3110 | 55 | 40.2 | 14560 | 91.9 | 1060 |
Enfield | 2305 | 28 | 37.4 | 10530 | 92 | 765 |
Greenwich | 1690 | 35 | 40.8 | 7475 | 92.7 | 500 |
Hackney | 3245 | 170 | 43 | 13295 | 90.3 | 1205 |
Hammersmith & Fulham | 2380 | 145 | 36.5 | 10770 | 89.3 | 1000 |
Haringey | 2190 | 73 | 39.6 | 9910 | 93.1 | 650 |
Harrow | 2390 | 47 | 41.9 | 11530 | 93.1 | 715 |
Havering | 1485 | 13 | 38.7 | 7765 | 91.1 | 615 |
Hillingdon | 2075 | 17 | 39.8 | 10195 | 89.5 | 860 |
Hounslow | 2320 | 41 | 39.7 | 10815 | 91.2 | 785 |
Islington | 3715 | 250 | 40.5 | 14645 | 87.9 | 1630 |
Kensington & Chelsea | 2165 | 178 | 40.3 | 11020 | 88.8 | 1150 |
Kingston | 1270 | 34 | 42 | 7060 | 91.3 | 540 |
Lambeth | 5570 | 207 | 38.8 | 16505 | 93.8 | 905 |
Lewisham | 1870 | 53 | 38.3 | 8070 | 94 | 445 |
Merton | 1995 | 53 | 37.3 | 9415 | 92.1 | 670 |
Newham | 2365 | 65 | 35 | 7915 | 92.7 | 525 |
Redbridge | 2580 | 45 | 36.4 | 10825 | 93.5 | 655 |
Richmond | 1985 | 34 | 44.6 | 11510 | 92.5 | 765 |
Southwark | 2930 | 101 | 38.2 | 12295 | 86.7 | 1490 |
Sutton | 1185 | 27 | 44.1 | 6810 | 91.8 | 500 |
Tower Hamlets | 3460 | 174 | 36.2 | 12985 | 89.9 | 1145 |
Waltham Forest | 2100 | 54 | 37.9 | 8285 | 93 | 530 |
Wandsworth | 3055 | 89 | 40.8 | 14755 | 93.2 | 895 |
Westminster | 8245 | 383 | 34.8 | 38650 | 83.9 | 5860 |
Survival rates: 2014 statistics for percentage of new enterprises started in 2009 still trading in 2014 (Source: Office for National Statistics)
Number of micro-businesses: 2015 statistics for enterprises employing 0-9 (Source: Office for National Statistics Local Authority Profile, updated 2016)
Number of small businesses: 2015 statistics for enterprises employing 10-49 (Source: Office for National Statistics Local Authority Profile, updated 2016)
Cost of living and quality of life
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Average weekly earnings: £636.42 (see how this compares to average UK weekly earnings) |
Borough | Average house prices | Council tax (Band D) | Population NVQ Level 4+ (2015) | Weekly earnings | No. of crimes (2015) | Average broadband speeds (mbps) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Barking & Dagenham | £330,515 | £1354.03 | 32.2 | £534.50 | 16324 | 28.2 |
Barnet | £511,787 | £1397.07 | 49 | £629.80 | 23201 | 22.9 |
Bexley | £331,613 | £1472.43 | 33.5 | £612.70 | 12143 | 22.5 |
Brent | £493,134 | £1377.24 | 45.1 | £551.40 | 25107 | 22.2 |
Bromley | £427,562 | £1347.27 | 46.7 | £681 | 20576 | 29.8 |
Camden | £874,301 | £1359.38 | 61.1 | £719.80 | 28765 | 32.9 |
City of London | – | £931.20 | – | £864.70 | – | 35 |
Croydon | £379,887 | £1494.13 | 40.6 | £602.80 | 29081 | 27.1 |
Ealing | £507,058 | £1359.38 | 49.7 | £562.20 | 26080 | 22.5 |
Enfield | £386,047 | £1420.17 | 43.4 | £564 | 22335 | 29.5 |
Greenwich | £405,099 | £1296.05 | 42.2 | £601 | 21116 | 35 |
Hackney | £691,969 | £1294.42 | 49.2 | £603.40 | 25934 | 22.4 |
Hammersmith & Fulham | £835,290 | £1003.81 | 67.5 | £686.1 | 20416 | 22.6 |
Haringey | £577,300 | £1484.01 | 49.2 | £576.60 | 24116 | 21.5 |
Harrow | £436,322 | £1559.61 | 47.9 | £625.70 | 12329 | 29.6 |
Havering | £366,417 | £1543.64 | 26 | £626.30 | 15265 | 25.3 |
Hillingdon | £400,254 | £1388.93 | 40.2 | £605.50 | 22003 | 26 |
Hounslow | £415,267 | £1355.77 | 45.5 | £565.70 | 20812 | 32.4 |
Islington | £722,018 | £1296.15 | 62.7 | £670.80 | 26528 | 24.7 |
Kensington & Chelsea | £1,380,076 | £1042.80 | 65.2 | £762.80 | 18779 | 22 |
Kingston | £461,587 | £1682.58 | 53.7 | £701.90 | 9832 | 28.5 |
Lambeth | £608,415 | £1257.35 | 65 | £621.50 | 33236 | 23.8 |
Lewisham | £473,303 | £1378.66 | 53.3 | £606.40 | 22328 | 23.2 |
Merton | £517,721 | £1405.22 | 58 | £622.40 | 12257 | 33.3 |
Newham | £355,766 | £1240.54 | 43.4 | £505.50 | 28911 | 26.9 |
Redbridge | £415,574 | £1415.22 | 44.7 | £652.50 | 20094 | 25.9 |
Richmond | £672262 | £1582.39 | 69.5 | £744/20 | 10834 | 28.5 |
Southwark | £621,656 | £1206.38 | 56.8 | £644.20 | 30307 | 29.2 |
Sutton | £360,135 | £1486.03 | 42.5 | £605.90 | 11106 | 28.3 |
Tower Hamlets | £547,916 | £1196.85 | 45.7 | £637 | 27,456 | 30.2 |
Waltham Forest | £435,021 | £1474.18 | 42.6 | £546.10 | 20821 | 27.2 |
Wandsworth | £633,121 | £674.22 | 66.4 | £718.50 | 22828 | 24.2 |
Westminster | £1,064,308 | £668.81 | 63.6 | £764.40 | 48321 | 28.5 |
Council tax: 2016 figures
Population NVQ Level 4+ (Bachelor's degree level): 2015 figures (Source: Office for National Statistics)
Weekly earnings: 2015 figures (Source: Office for National Statistics)
Crimes: 2015 figures (Source: Metropolitan Police)
Average broadband speeds: Q4 2014 figures (Source: thinkbroadband)