Westminster has been named the UK’s entrepreneurial hotspot with 25,411 businesses per 100,000 residents. A second part of London – Camden – came in second with 16,177 businesses per 100,000 residents, while Islington is in third.
In contrast, Knowsley, near Liverpool, has the fewest businesses in the UK, at just 2,204 per 100,000 residents.
This is based on an assessment by One Day Agency, who worked out the number of businesses across the UK from Office for National Statistics figures, and compared them with local populations to find out which areas have the most entrepreneurs per 100,000 individuals.
The 10 most entrepreneurial areas in the UK
- Westminster
- Camden
- Islington
- Kensington and Chelsea
- Hackney
- Bromsgrove
- Hertsmere
- Richmond upon Thames
- Cotswold
- Hammersmith and Fulham
Overall, London boroughs dominated the top 10 with 7 of the 10 spots on the list located within the capital. As indicated above, Westminster is first, with 25,411 businesses per 100,000 residents. Second is Camden, with 16,177 businesses per 100,000 residents.
Islington places third with 9,877 businesses per 100,000 residents, while Kensington and Chelsea is fourth with 9,504. Another London borough takes fifth place with Hackney having 8,953 businesses per 100,000 residents, emphasizing that London is a major hub for entrepreneurs.
In sixth is Bromsgrove in Worcestershire, with 7,288 businesses per 100,000 residents – the first non-London location in the top 10. Hertsmere in Hertfordshire is seventh with 7,123 businesses per 100,000 residents, and eighth is Richmond upon Thames with 6,820 businesses.
Cotswold is ninth with 6,787 businesses per 100,000 residents. Rounding off the top ten is Hammersmith and Fulham with 6,765 businesses per 100,000 residents.
The top five least entrepreneurial areas in the UK are:
- Knowsley
- Sunderland
- Gosport
- South Tyneside
- Ashfield
At the other end of the scale, Knowsley in Merseyside has the fewest businesses, with 2,204 per 100,000 residents – less than a tenth of Westminster’s figure. Sunderland is second with 2,241 businesses per 100,000 residents. Gosport located in Hampshire places third with 2,306 businesses per 100,000 residents.
South Tyneside and Ashfield round out the bottom five least entrepreneurial areas, with 2,312 and 2,453 businesses per 100,000 residents, respectively.
The data shows a clear divide between the south and north of England, as almost all of the most entrepreneurial areas are based in the south, excluding Bromsgrove, and the majority of the least business-minded are located in the north. This may be due to the north having limited access to investment capital, fewer networking opportunities, and undeveloped infrastructure in comparison to areas like London.
