Data last verified: 13 November 2026. Figures re-checked against their primary sources under the Whito rolling re-verification programme.
Finding
Pubs are the only one of twelve UK industries Whito counted where there were fewer businesses in March 2026 than in 2010: 29,925, down 17.1%. Cafes grew the most, up 158.0%.
Source: Whito, whito.co.uk/research/uk-industries-compared-2026, 2026-11-13. Free to quote with a link to this page.
Last Updated on November 13, 2026
Read a short summary
General summary
In March 2026 the UK had 50,935 garage businesses and 46,590 takeaway businesses, the most of the twelve industries Whito compared here, according to the Office for National Statistics. Pubs and bars are the only one of the twelve with fewer businesses than in 2010, down 17.1%. Cafes grew the most, up 158.0%. Driving schools are the smallest, with 2,195 businesses.
Bullet points
- 50,935 garage businesses and 46,590 takeaway businesses in the UK in March 2026 (ONS).
- Pubs and bars: 29,925 businesses, the only one of the twelve down on 2010 (17.1% fewer).
- Cafes grew most since 2010, up 158.0%. Pharmacies grew most since 2021, up 23.7%.
- Architects, vets and opticians had fewer businesses than in 2021.
- 97.5% of driving school businesses employ fewer than ten people.
Basic explainer
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is the UK’s official statistics body. Every year it counts how many businesses there are in each industry. Whito has written a report on each of these twelve industries using those counts. This page puts the main figures from all twelve in one table so you can compare them. Each industry name links to its full report.
These summaries were written with AI from this page only. The full page below is the record.
Short answer: in March 2026 the UK had 50,935 garage businesses, 46,590 takeaway businesses, 29,925 pub and bar businesses and 28,955 cafe businesses, according to the Office for National Statistics. The table below puts twelve UK industries side by side, with the count per 100,000 people and the change since 2010 and 2021.
Pubs are the only one of twelve UK industries Whito counted where there were fewer businesses in March 2026 than in 2010: 29,925, down 17.1%. Cafes grew the most over the same years, up 158.0%.
Twelve UK industries side by side
Each figure is a count of businesses registered for VAT or PAYE (payroll) in March, from ONS UK Business Counts. A business with several sites is counted once. The table runs from most businesses to fewest. Each industry name links to Whito’s full report, with regions, business sizes and the rules that apply.
| Industry | ONS code (SIC) | Businesses, March 2026 | Per 100,000 people | 2010 | Change since 2010 | 2021 | Change since 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garages | 45200 | 50,935 | 73.3 | Not in report | +45.6% | Not in report | Not in report |
| Takeaways | 56103 | 46,590 | 67.1 | 27,555 | +69.1% | 40,570 | +14.8% |
| Pubs and bars | 56302 | 29,925 | 43.1 | 36,110 | -17.1% | 29,865 | +0.2% |
| Cafes | 56102 | 28,955 | 41.7 | 11,225 | +158.0% | 24,810 | +16.7% |
| Nurseries and childcare | 88910 | 14,235 | 20.5 | 9,805 | +45.2% | 13,925 | +2.2% |
| Architects | 71111 | 14,150 | 20.4 | 9,650 | +46.6% | 14,865 | -4.8% |
| Pharmacies | 47730 | 6,550 | 9.4 | 4,475 | +46.4% | 5,295 | +23.7% |
| Travel agents | 79110 | 5,735 | 8.3 | 3,975 | +44.3% | 5,005 | +14.6% |
| Opticians | 47782 | 5,115 | 7.4 | 4,755 | +7.6% | 5,140 | -0.5% |
| Vets | 75000 | 3,795 | 5.5 | 3,175 | +19.5% | 3,895 | -2.6% |
| Funeral directors | 96030 | 2,265 | 3.3 | 1,410 | +60.6% | 2,070 | +9.4% |
| Driving schools | 85530 | 2,195 | 3.2 | 1,265 | +73.5% | 1,890 | +16.1% |
Per 100,000 people figures use ONS mid-2025 population estimates and are Whito calculations. The garage report gives the change since 2010 but not the 2010 or 2021 counts, so those cells say “Not in report”. Together the twelve industries had 210,445 businesses in March 2026 (Whito calculation).
What the table shows
- Food and drink is the biggest group. Takeaways (46,590), pubs and bars (29,925) and cafes (28,955) add up to 105,470 businesses.
- Pubs are the only industry here that shrank since 2010. There were 36,110 pub and bar businesses in 2010 and 29,925 in 2026. The count has barely moved since 2021 (29,865).
- Cafes grew fastest over the long run. Up 158.0% since 2010, ahead of driving schools (up 73.5%) and takeaways (up 69.1%).
- Pharmacies grew fastest since 2021. Up 23.7%, from 5,295 to 6,550.
- Three industries had fewer businesses than in 2021. Architects (down 4.8%), vets (down 2.6%) and opticians (down 0.5%).
How small the businesses are
The share of businesses in each industry that employ fewer than ten people, March 2026 (ONS).
| Industry | Fewer than ten staff |
|---|---|
| Driving schools | 97.5% |
| Garages | 93.1% |
| Travel agents | 92.7% |
| Architects | 91.6% |
| Takeaways | 90.8% |
| Funeral directors | 77.9% |
| Cafes | 77.4% |
| Vets | 73.0% |
| Opticians | 72.0% |
| Pharmacies | 67.9% |
| Pubs and bars | 66.1% |
| Nurseries and childcare | 59.7% |
Almost every driving school, garage, travel agent and architecture business is small. Nurseries, pubs and pharmacies have the most businesses with ten or more staff, though most are still small.
Where each industry is most and least common
Businesses per 100,000 residents in each UK nation and English region, March 2026 (Whito calculations from ONS figures).
| Industry | Most per head | Fewest per head |
|---|---|---|
| Garages | South West, 87.9 | London, 44.3 |
| Takeaways | North East, 80.4 | South East, 54.5 |
| Pubs and bars | South West, 55.8 | London, 25.8 |
| Cafes | London, 68.8 | North East, 31.1 |
| Nurseries and childcare | Wales, 30.7 | North East, 14.1 |
| Architects | London, 43.7 | North East, 9.6 |
| Pharmacies | London, 15.3 | South West, 4.7 |
| Travel agents | London, 19.1 | Northern Ireland, 3.6 |
| Opticians | South East, 12.2 | South West, 4.6 |
| Vets | South West, 8.9 | North East, 3.3 |
| Funeral directors | Wales, 5.2 | London, 1.7 |
| Driving schools | London, 4.3 | Northern Ireland, 1.6 |
London has the most businesses per head in five of the twelve industries: cafes, architects, pharmacies, travel agents and driving schools. The North East has the fewest per head in four: cafes, nurseries, architects and vets.
What these counts include, and what they miss
- The ONS counts businesses registered for VAT or PAYE (payroll). A sole trader below the VAT threshold with no staff is usually not counted, so the real number of people trading is higher.
- These are counts of businesses, not premises or workers. A chain of 500 pharmacies is one business.
- Each row uses one ONS business code. The garage count is vehicle maintenance and repair (SIC 45200). Garage figures were read on 12 November 2026; the other eleven on 13 November 2026.
Why this matters if you run a UK business
Before you spend money on marketing, know how crowded your market is. The per-head figures show how many rivals a typical customer can choose from where you trade. A takeaway in the North East has more competition per resident than one in the South East.
Start with your own industry report. It shows the count for your region, how it has changed and the rules that apply. Then decide where to compete.
Other UK industries Whito has compared
Whito has also compared ten trade and professional industries, including plumbers, electricians, builders, dentists, solicitors and accountants: UK trade businesses in 2026: ten industries compared. For the wider picture of UK business, see Whito Pulse: UK business in numbers.
Common questions
Which of these UK industries has the most businesses?
Garages, with 50,935 vehicle maintenance and repair businesses in March 2026 (ONS, SIC 45200). Takeaways come next with 46,590.
How many pubs are there in the UK?
The ONS counted 29,925 pub and bar businesses in March 2026, 17.1% fewer than in 2010 (36,110). It counts businesses, not premises, so a pub company with many sites counts once.
How many vets are there in the UK?
The ONS counted 3,795 veterinary businesses in March 2026, 2.6% fewer than in 2021 (3,895). That is businesses, not individual vets.
Which UK industry has grown the fastest?
Of these twelve, cafes grew the most since 2010, up 158.0% to 28,955 businesses. Since 2021, pharmacies grew the most, up 23.7% to 6,550.
Which industries have fewer businesses than before?
Pubs and bars are the only one of the twelve with fewer businesses than in 2010. Architects, vets and opticians had fewer than in 2021.
Sources (read 13 November 2026)
- Office for National Statistics, UK Business Counts, enterprises by SIC code, March 2010 to 2026 (via Nomis), as used in each Whito industry report.
- Office for National Statistics, mid-2025 population estimates (via Nomis), for the per-head figures.
- The twelve Whito industry reports linked in the first table. Each one gives its full method and limits.
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