Of the 22 UK industries Whito has counted, the one with the most businesses is Domestic building, with 59,685 in March 2026. Second is Electrical installation, with 51,010. The smallest of the 22 is Driving schools, with 2,195.
This is not every UK industry. It covers the 22 industries Whito has published a business count for. More are added as each industry report is published.
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| Rank | Industry | ONS industry code | Businesses, March 2026 | Businesses, 2010 | Change since 2010 | Businesses, 2021 | Change since 2021 | Rank in 2021 | Rank in 2010 | Full report |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Domestic building | 41202 | 59,685 | 29,810 | +100.2% | 52,355 | +14.0% | 1 | 4 | Read report |
| 2 | Electrical installation | 43210 | 51,010 | 38,975 | +30.9% | 47,605 | +7.2% | 2 | 1 | Read report |
| 3 | Garages | 45200 | 50,935 | Not in report | +45.6% | Not in report | Not in report | Not in report | Not in report | Read report |
| 4 | Plumbing, heating and air-con | 43220 | 47,910 | 30,230 | +58.5% | 40,665 | +17.8% | 3 | 3 | Read report |
| 5 | Takeaways | 56103 | 46,590 | 27,555 | +69.1% | 40,570 | +14.8% | 4 | 6 | Read report |
| 6 | Accounting and auditing | 69201 | 31,505 | 29,140 | +8.1% | 33,865 | -7.0% | 5 | 5 | Read report |
| 7 | Pubs and bars | 56302 | 29,925 | 36,110 | -17.1% | 29,865 | +0.2% | 6 | 2 | Read report |
| 8 | Cafes | 56102 | 28,955 | 11,225 | +158.0% | 24,810 | +16.7% | 7 | 9 | Read report |
| 9 | Estate and letting agencies | 68310 | 26,210 | 16,050 | +63.3% | 22,145 | +18.4% | 8 | 7 | Read report |
| 10 | Employment placement agencies | 78109 | 16,745 | 4,915 | +240.7% | 16,430 | +1.9% | 9 | 15 | Read report |
| 11 | Building cleaning | 81210 | 16,420 | 9,020 | +82.0% | 12,540 | +30.9% | 13 | 13 | Read report |
| 12 | Dental practices | 86230 | 14,710 | 10,105 | +45.6% | 12,140 | +21.2% | 14 | 10 | Read report |
| 13 | Nurseries and childcare | 88910 | 14,235 | 9,805 | +45.2% | 13,925 | +2.2% | 11 | 11 | Read report |
| 14 | Architects | 71111 | 14,150 | 9,650 | +46.6% | 14,865 | -4.8% | 10 | 12 | Read report |
| 15 | Solicitor firms | 69102 | 13,185 | 12,885 | +2.3% | 13,250 | -0.5% | 12 | 8 | Read report |
| 16 | Roofing | 43910 | 12,895 | 7,080 | +82.1% | 10,010 | +28.8% | 15 | 14 | Read report |
| 17 | Pharmacies | 47730 | 6,550 | 4,475 | +46.4% | 5,295 | +23.7% | 16 | 17 | Read report |
| 18 | Travel agents | 79110 | 5,735 | 3,975 | +44.3% | 5,005 | +14.6% | 18 | 18 | Read report |
| 19 | Opticians | 47782 | 5,115 | 4,755 | +7.6% | 5,140 | -0.5% | 17 | 16 | Read report |
| 20 | Vets | 75000 | 3,795 | 3,175 | +19.5% | 3,895 | -2.6% | 19 | 19 | Read report |
| 21 | Funeral directors | 96030 | 2,265 | 1,410 | +60.6% | 2,070 | +9.4% | 20 | 20 | Read report |
| 22 | Driving schools | 85530 | 2,195 | 1,265 | +73.5% | 1,890 | +16.1% | 21 | 21 | Read report |
What the ranking shows
- The 22 industries hold 500,720 businesses between them (Whito addition of the ONS counts).
- Of the 21 industries with a 2021 count, 16 have more businesses now than in 2021 and 5 have fewer.
- The number one industry has 27 times as many businesses as the smallest on the list.
How this ranking works
What is measured
The number of businesses in each industry in the UK in March 2026. A business here is an enterprise registered for VAT or PAYE.
Where the data comes from
The Office for National Statistics publishes the counts each year. Whito reads them through the official Nomis service. Each industry is one ONS industry code, shown in the table.
How the ranking is worked out
Industries are placed in order of their March 2026 count, largest first. Industries with the same count share a rank. The changes since 2010 and 2021 are the ones printed in each Whito industry report.
When the data was collected
The counts are for March 2026. Whito read them between 6 and 13 November 2026.
What is included and left out
Included: the 22 industries with a published Whito industry report. Left out: every other industry, until its report is published. Businesses too small to be registered for VAT or PAYE are not in the ONS counts.
Limits
ONS rounds counts to the nearest five. An industry code does not always match how people use the word: for example, a firm that does several kinds of work is counted once, under its main activity. Where a report does not print a figure, the table says "Not in report" and does not fill the gap.
Corrections
If a figure here is wrong, email hello@whito.co.uk or use the corrections page. Whito checks it against the source and fixes it free of charge.
Nobody can pay to appear in a Whito ranking, and nobody can pay to move up one. Paid listings and services have no effect on any ranking. Read how Whito makes money and the full rankings method.
Data sources
- Office for National Statistics, UK Business Counts, enterprises by industry code, March 2010 to March 2026, read through the Nomis service.
- Whito industry reports, which carry each figure with its source and date: UK industries compared 2026 and UK trade businesses in 2026.
Earlier years
The table shows where each industry stood in 2021 and in 2010, using the ONS counts for those years. 21 of the 22 industries have a 2021 count in their report and 21 have a 2010 count, so the earlier ranks are among those industries only. This page is the first edition. When ONS publishes the March 2027 counts, a new edition will be published and this one will stay online.
Related industry research
- UK industries compared 2026: twelve industries side by side
- UK trade businesses in 2026: ten industries compared
- Whito Pulse: what is happening across UK business
- All UK industry hubs