Company formations in the first nine months of the year are 9.5% higher than January to September 2019. To date, 572,882 companies have launched in 2020. This is the key finding from analysis of Companies House data by the Centre for Entrepreneurs.
Every English region and devolved nation saw year-on-year growth in company formations in September, averaging 29% and creating a four-month run of growth across the UK.
Scotland saw 29% year-on-year growth in September, helping it recover from the sharpest fall in the UK and bounce towards an overall 12% year-on-year increase since Covid took hold in March.
Only Wales and Northern Ireland continue to see reduced numbers of company formations since Covid swept the UK (-4% and -8% respectively).