Diversity Index – Gender Insights on UK Business Ownership

Latest Data is Available on the DataGardener platform

Book a Discovery Call now to get the latest data on our platform. Our team is ready to provide you with tailored insights and updates. Don’t miss out, schedule your call today!

Active Companies

5.35M+

Female-Owned Businesses

759K+

Male-Owned Businesses

2.13M+

Industry
Regions
Risk Profile
Turnover

The largest sectors are Professional, Scientific, and Technical Activities (15.65%), Wholesale and Retail Trade (15.02%), and Human Health and Social Work (9.31%). Other significant industries include Real Estate (8.90%), Administrative and Support Services (10.42%), and Other Service Activities (8.40%). Mining and Quarrying (0.07%), Electricity and Gas (0.07%), and Public Administration (0.35%) have the lowest female representation.

The top industries are Construction (15.11%), Wholesale and Retail Trade (14.41%), and Professional, Scientific, and Technical Activities (13.08%). Information and Communication (9.79%), Real Estate (9.10%), and Administrative and Support Services (8.47%) also feature prominently. The least represented sectors are Mining and Quarrying (0.17%), Public Administration (0.17%), and Activities of Extraterritorial Organizations (0.01%).

* The Percentages & Counts may not add up due to a company being able to trade under multiple SIC Codes.

		Female-Owned Businesses		Male-Owned Businesses
SIC Code	SIC Industry	Count	Percentage	Count	Percentage
A	Agriculture Forestry And Fishing	4,984	0.66%	18,477	0.86%
B	Mining And Quarrying	541	0.07%	3,561	0.17%
C	Manufacturing	24,851	3.27%	101,426	4.74%
D	Electricity Gas Steam And Air Conditioning Supply	540	0.07%	5,213	0.24%
E	Water Supply, Sewerage Waste Management And Remediation Activities	1,179	0.16%	8,318	0.39%
F	Construction	28,051	3.69%	323,049	15.11%
G	Wholesale And Retail Trade; Repair Of Motor Vehicles And Motorcycles	114,087	15.02%	308,127	14.41%
H	Transportation And Storage	15,424	2.03%	86,360	4.04%
I	Accommodation And Food Service Activities	46,543	6.13%	103,739	4.85%
J	Information And Communication	46,352	6.10%	209,265	9.79%
K	Financial And Insurance Activities	15,407	2.03%	76,273	3.57%
L	Real Estate Activities	67,629	8.90%	194,638	9.10%
M	Professional Scientific And Technical Activities	118,881	15.65%	279,611	13.08%
N	Administrative And Support Service Activities	79,147	10.42%	181,116	8.47%
O	Public Administration And Defence; Compulsory Social Security	2,646	0.35%	3,592	0.17%
P	Education	24,542	3.23%	26,776	1.25%
Q	Human Health And Social Work Activities	70,704	9.31%	53,781	2.52%
R	Arts Entertainment And Recreation	23,398	3.08%	50,235	2.35%
S	Other Service Activities	63,826	8.40%	86,893	4.06%
T	Activities Of Households As Employers; Undifferentiated Goods- And Services-producing Activities Of Households For Own Use	9,618	1.27%	17,221	0.81%
U	Activities Of Extraterritorial Organisations And Bodies	73	0.01%	250	0.01%

London leads with 216,345 businesses (28.48%), followed by the South East (13.44%) and North West (9.63%). The East of England (9.24%), West Midlands (8.42%), and South West (6.25%) also show notable figures. Northern Ireland (1.48%), Wales (2.01%), and the North East (2.07%) have the lowest female-owned business representation.

London dominates with 543,739 businesses (25.43%), followed by the South East (13.39%) and North West (10.25%). The East of England (9.68%), West Midlands (8.05%), and South West (6.60%) also contribute significantly. Northern Ireland (1.70%), Wales (2.31%), and the North East (2.42%) account for the smallest shares.

Region	Female-Owned Businesses		Male-Owned Businesses
Region	Count	Percentage	Count	Percentage
London	216,345	28.48%	543,739	25.43%
North West	73,163	9.63%	219,195	10.25%
South East	102,094	13.44%	286,238	13.39%
West Midlands	63,965	8.42%	172,088	8.05%
East of England	70,223	9.24%	207,020	9.68%
Yorkshire and The Humber	43,035	5.67%	135,463	6.34%
East Midlands	41,898	5.52%	121,370	5.68%
Scotland	35,053	4.61%	107,128	5.01%
South West	47,467	6.25%	141,071	6.60%
North East	15,700	2.07%	51,731	2.42%
Wales	15,231	2.01%	49,420	2.31%
Northern Ireland	11,204	1.48%	36,429	1.70%

The majority of female-owned businesses fall under the Moderate Risk category (32.05%), followed by Very Low Risk (25.18%) and Low Risk (21.83%). A notable portion (19.84%) is classified as Very High Risk / Not Scored, while only 1.01% fall into the High Risk category.

Male-owned businesses have the highest proportion in the Low Risk category (26.68%), followed by Moderate Risk (24.74%) and Very High Risk / Not Scored (23.88%). Very Low Risk businesses make up 23.14%, while High Risk businesses account for just 1.54%.

Risk Band	Female-Owned Businesses		Male-Owned Businesses
Risk Band	Count	Percentage	Count	Percentage
Very Low Risk	191,290	25.18%	494,815	23.14%
Low Risk	165,845	21.83%	570,526	26.68%
Moderate Risk	243,513	32.05%	529,020	24.74%
High Risk	7,677	1.01%	32,969	1.54%
Very High Risk / Not Scored	150,710	19.84%	510,489	23.88%

Most female-owned businesses (83.30%) have a turnover between 1 to 500K, with 7.80% generating 500K to 1M, and 7.60% falling in the 1M to 5M range. Higher turnover businesses are significantly fewer, with 0.79% earning 5M to 10M, 0.57% in the 10M to 100M range, and only 0.02% reaching 100M to 500M. Just 4 female-owned companies exceed 1 billion in turnover.

A majority (76.60%) of male-owned businesses fall within the 1 to 500K turnover range. 9.70% have a turnover between 500K to 1M, while 6.04% generate between 1M to 5M. Businesses with 5M to 10M in turnover make up 0.75%, and those earning 10M to 100M account for 0.66%. Larger businesses are rare, with 0.03% reaching 100M to 500M, and just 26 companies surpassing 1 billion in turnover.

Turnover Range	Female-Owned Businesses		Male-Owned Businesses
Turnover Range	Number of Companies	Percentage	Number of Companies	Percentage
1 to 500K	298,714	83.30%	894,578	76.60%
500K to 1M	27,992	7.80%	113,127	9.70%
1M to 5M	27,290	7.60%	129,190	6.04%
5M to 10M	2,850	0.79%	16,080	0.75%
10M to 100M	2,040	0.57%	14,050	0.66%
100M to 500M	64	0.02%	603	0.03%
Greater Than 1B	4	0.00%	26	0.00%