Starting a business: The UK statistics
Discover the essential stats behind the top 25 regional start-up cities, from the start-up ecosystem and quality of life to access to talent and business support
Updated: Feb 3, 2021 Published: Aug 21, 2017
To compile the Start-up Cities Index 2017, the Startups team have gathered data and statistics from a range of credible sources in order to get an accurate picture of the levels of start-up activity across the UK.
From the number of start-ups in each city, to survival rates, and even weekly earnings and working age population, the tables below reflect how each city ranks as an ideal start-up location.
Discover how each city fares for each criteria below…
The start-up ecosystem and quality of life
 |
Average property price: £183,396
Average crime rate: 84.23 |
|
| City | Business population | New start-ups | Business closures | Survival rate (%) | Property prices (£) | Crime rates (per 1000) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aberdeen | 10,230 | 1,090 | 1,055 | 46.00 | £205,365 | 60.8 |
| Belfast | 10,590 | 1,165 | 800 | 37.00 | £112,287 | – |
| Birmingham | 37,200 | 7,310 | 4,030 | 36.00 | £234,770 | 68.35 |
| Brighton | 14,765 | 2,115 | 1,460 | 46.00 | £285,206 | 80.99 |
| Bristol | 19,225 | 2,795 | 1,825 | 43.00 | £412,090 | 98.50 |
| Cambridge | 5,295 | 3,410 | 490 | 49.00 | £217,252 | 87.23 |
| Canterbury | 5,560 | 700 | 545 | 38.00 | £219,026 | 56.37 |
| Cardiff | 12,090 | 1,800 | 1,195 | 40.00 | £154,197 | 91.67 |
| Coventry | 10,520 | 1,865 | 1,045 | 39.00 | £120,000 | 62.85 |
| Edinburgh | 20,260 | 3,055 | 2,070 | 37.00 | £228,240 | 73.1 |
| Glasgow | 20,235 | 3,185 | 2,335 | 39.00 | £140,426 | 85.2 |
| Hull | 6,445 | 870 | 630 | 36.00 | £072,255 | 101.94 |
| Leeds | 28,905 | 4,315 | 2,785 | 42.00 | £234,920 | 83.45 |
| Leicester | 11,860 | 1,915 | 1,275 | 40.00 | £120,136 | 82.93 |
| Liverpool | 14,055 | 2,435 | 1,560 | 38.00 | £201,680 | 90.86 |
| Manchester | 21,815 | 4,190 | 2,675 | 36.00 | £238,050 | 109.39 |
| Milton Keynes | 12,975 | 2,225 | 1,240 | 41.00 | £189623 | 70.57 |
| Newcastle | 8,695 | 1,260 | 930 | 39.00 | £121,456 | 80.2 |
| Norwich | 5,110 | 620 | 535 | 44.oo | £163,304 | 94.67 |
| Nottingham | 9,485 | 1,400 | 1,075 | 40.00 | £089,784 | 101.02 |
| Oxford | 5,265 | 685 | 480 | 45.00 | £296,476 | 30.71 |
| Plymouth | 6,470 | 875 | 780 | 42.00 | £136,071 | 171.83 |
| Sheffield | 16,905 | 2,285 | 1,750 | 42.00 | £125,832 | 68.19 |
| Southampton | 7,380 | 1,385 | 825 | 40.00 | £157,914 | 102.45 |
| Swansea | 6,730 | 890 | 740 | 38.00 | £108,549 | 68.19 |
*Business population (number of active businesses 2015), Number of new start-ups (new businesses launched in 2015), business closures (number of business deaths in 2015), survival rates (percentage of new enterprises started in 2010 still trading in 2015, figures rounded): Business Demography Report, published 23 November 2016 (Office for National Statistics)
Property prices: September 2015 statistics (Land Registry), for Scotland June to September 2015 (Registry of Scotland)
Crime rates (total number of crimes over a 12 month period per thousand residents): June 2015 statistics (Police UK)
Property prices: September 2015 statistics (Land Registry), for Scotland June to September 2015 (Registry of Scotland)
Crime rates (total number of crimes over a 12 month period per thousand residents): June 2015 statistics (Police UK)
Access to talent and business support
|
Average commercial rent cost Grade B:£15.83 (10.764 = £ per sq. m) |
|
| City | Broadband speed | Number of student grads | Number of domicile graduates | Commercial rent cost Grade B (10.764=£ per sq.m) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aberdeen | 16.9 | 83.40% | 88.80% | £18.00 |
| Belfast | 33.6 | 91.90% | 78.70% | £16.00 |
| Birmingham | 28.8 | 54.70% | 69.00% | £22.50 |
| Brighton | 33.3 | 48.10% | 64.10% | £17.00 |
| Bristol | 33.8 | 48.10% | 64.1% | £25.00 |
| Cambridge | 23.5 | 50.90% | 55.60% | £16.00 |
| Canterbury | 21 | 43.10% | 60.10% | £13.50 |
| Cardiff | 30.2 | 59.50% | 73.1% | £16.50 |
| Coventry | 25.3 | 54.70% | 69.00% | £11.00 |
| Edinburgh | 30.3 | 83.40% | 88.80% | £20.00 |
| Glasgow | 23.1 | 83.40% | 88.80% | £20.00 |
| Hull | 14.1 | – | – | – |
| Leeds | 25.3 | 48.50% | 71.50% | £21.75 |
| Leicester | 23.2 | 39.20% | 61.00% | £10.00 |
| Liverpool | 27.8 | 66.00% | 77.2% | £12.50 |
| Manchester | 24 | 66.00% | 77.2% | £24.50 |
| Milton Keynes | 21.4 | 43.10% | 60.10% | £12.00 |
| Newcastle | 25.2 | 55.10% | 76.2% | £15.00 |
| Norwich | 17 | 50.90% | 55.60% | £10.00 |
| Nottingham | 31.4 | 39.20% | 61.00% | £12.50 |
| Oxford | 22.5 | 43.10% | 60.10% | £14.50 |
| Plymouth | 31.8 | 48.10% | 64.10% | £11.00 |
| Sheffield | 20.9 | 48.50% | 71.50% | £12.00 |
| Southampton | 27.8 | 43.10% | 60.10% | £13.00 |
| Swansea | 27.7 | – | – | – |
*Broadband speed: Average broadband speed (M/bits) (Ofcom)
Number of student graduates and domicile graduates staying in the area (HESCU's Graduate Market Trends report 2016)
Commercial rent cost Grade B (Colliers' Office Rents Map – figures £ per sq.m for each location as of June 2016. Grade B rents apply to second-hand units built during the 1990s.)
Number of student graduates and domicile graduates staying in the area (HESCU's Graduate Market Trends report 2016)
Commercial rent cost Grade B (Colliers' Office Rents Map – figures £ per sq.m for each location as of June 2016. Grade B rents apply to second-hand units built during the 1990s.)