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1. Key Points

The number of Value Added Tax (VAT) and/or Pay-As-You-Earn (PAYE) registered businesses operating in Northern Ireland in 2025 is estimated to have risen by 1,090 (1.4%) since March 2024 to 81,135. This marked the eleventh consecutive year of increase following a period of decline from 2008 to 2014.
All four headline industries saw an increase in the number of businesses since 2024. The number of businesses in Production increased by 135 businesses (2.5%), which followed two consecutive years of decline. The number of businesses in Services increased by 1.6% (725), whilst the number of businesses in Construction (11,470) is the highest it has been since 2010.
Since 2015, the total number of registered businesses operating in Northern Ireland has increased by 13,050 (19.2%). More than half (58.0%) of this increase occurred in Services, which amounted to 7,565 businesses.
The geographical spread of businesses across the 11 local government districts (LGDs) in Northern Ireland remained relatively unchanged, with Belfast having the highest number of businesses (11,815 or 14.6%) and Antrim and Newtownabbey with the lowest number of businesses (4,340 or 5.3%).
Of those businesses operating in Northern Ireland, 2.9% (2,325) were owned by an enterprise registered outside Northern Ireland. These businesses accounted for 24.2% of employees. The number of non-locally owned businesses operating in Northern Ireland has increased by 44.9% over the 10 years since 2015. Their number of employees increased by 13.4% over the same period.

2. NI Business Profile, 2025

There were 81,135 businesses registered for VAT and/or PAYE operating in Northern Ireland in March 2025.
The majority of businesses (89.3% or 72,465) in Northern Ireland were micro-sized businesses (less than 10 employees). Just 2.2% of businesses (1,750) were medium or large businesses (50 or more employees).
Four in ten businesses in Northern Ireland (39.6% or 32,140) had a turnover of less than £100,000, whilst just 12.8% (10,415 businesses) had a turnover in excess of £1 million.
The registered business population in Northern Ireland accounts for 2.9% of the total UK figure which was 2.7 million in 2024. The ONS publishes UK business; activity, size and location statistics with data presented by the four UK regions. It is important to note that the ONS data refer to businesses registered in each of the four regions.

Map 1: The highest number of businesses in Northern Ireland was in Belfast, with the smallest number in Antrim and Newtownabbey.

Number of businesses by Local Government District, 2025

Figure 1: The majority of businesses in Northern Ireland (89.3%) were micro-sized businesses. Just 2.2% of businesses had 50 or more employees.

Percentage of businesses operating in Northern Ireland by employee size band, 2025

Figure 2: Four in ten businesses in Northern Ireland (39.6%) had a turnover of less than £100,000, whilst 12.8% had a turnover of more than £1 million.

Percentage of businesses operating in Northern Ireland by turnover size band, 2025

3. Change Over 1 Year

There were 1,090 (1.4%) more registered businesses operating in Northern Ireland in March 2025 than in March 2024.
Each of the four headline industries experienced growth in the number of businesses over the year to March 2025. The largest absolute growth was in Services (725 businesses or 1.6%), with Agriculture seeing growth for the fourth consecutive year (140 businesses or 0.7%). The number of businesses within Production grew by 135 to 5,580, which amounted to the largest percentage growth of 2.5%. The number of businesses within Construction reached its highest since 2010, increasing by just 0.8% to 11,470.
Despite the increase in the total number of businesses across Northern Ireland in 2025, two of the eleven LGDs saw a small decline, the largest of these being seen in Mid and East Antrim (20 businesses or 0.4%). The largest growth in percentage terms was seen in Derry City and Strabane (3.5% or 195 businesses), whilst the largest absolute change was witnessed in Belfast (370 businesses or 3.2%). It is worth noting that a business may use management and personal service companies, as well as formation agents to register a business with Companies House, both of which may be more likely to be in the larger urban areas.

Figure 3: Production saw the largest growth in percentage terms in the number of businesses over the year to 2025.

Percentage change in the number of businesses operating in Northern Ireland by Headline Industry, 2024 to 2025

Figure 4: The number of businesses increased in nine of the eleven local government districts in Northern Ireland over the year to 2025.

Percentage change in the number of businesses operating in Northern Ireland by Local Government District, 2024 to 2025

4. Change Over 5 Years

There were 5,045 (6.6%) more registered businesses operating in Northern Ireland in 2025 than five years earlier in March 2020.
There were increases in all but one industry during the five-year period, with only Finance and insurance seeing a small decline of less than one per cent. The largest increase in percentage terms was in Motor trades (15.4% or 405 businesses).
The largest increases in absolute terms over the five-year period were seen in Construction (925 businesses or 8.8%) and Agriculture, forestry and fishing (720 or 3.9%).

Figure 5: The number of businesses in Motor trades has grown by 15.4% since 2020. There has also been a large increase (925 businesses or 8.8%) in those operating within Construction.

Percentage change in the number of businesses operating in Northern Ireland by Broad Industry Group, 2020 to 2025

The number of registered businesses operating in Northern Ireland, owned by an enterprise registered outside of Northern Ireland, accounted for 2.9% (2,325) of all registered businesses operating in Northern Ireland and one-quarter (24.2%) of employees.
Non-Northern Irish-owned businesses increased by 20.2% (390) over the five years to 2025. The number of employees working within these enterprises increased significantly by 8.3% (15,170) over the same period, although it did decrease slightly by 0.8% in the 12 months to March 2025. The equivalent figure for turnover is not available.

Figure 6: The number of businesses operating in Northern Ireland owned by an enterprise registered outside of Northern Ireland increased from the Republic of Ireland, the rest of the European Union, and the Rest of the World since 2020. The comparable figure declined for Great Britain.

Percentage change in the number of non-Northern Ireland owned businesses and employees operating in Northern Ireland by Country, 2020 to 2025

5. Change Over 10 Years

There were 13,050 (19.2%) more registered businesses operating in Northern Ireland in March 2025 than March 2015.
Construction saw the biggest growth (27.8%) of the four headline industries over the 10 years from 2015 to 2025. Production and Service industry businesses both also saw large growth over the same period of 27.4% and 20.2% respectively. The rise in Services was helped in large part by an increase of just over 1,500 businesses (29.7%) within the Professional, scientific and technical industry.
All 11 LGDs saw growth in the number of businesses registered there during the ten years to 2025. The largest growth in absolute terms was in Belfast with just over 2,000 more businesses registered than in 2015. The largest growth in percentage terms was in Derry City and Strabane, which saw an increase of 24.6% on 2015.

Figure 7: Of the four headline industries, Construction has seen the largest percentage growth in the number of businesses over the 10 years, 2015 to 2025.

Change in the number of businesses operating in Northern Ireland by Headline Industry, 2015 to 2025 (Index, 2015 = 100).

Figure 8: The number of businesses increased in all 11 LGDs over the 10 years, 2015 to 2025. Belfast saw the largest increase in the absolute number of businesses, whilst Derry City and Strabane saw the largest percentage change.

Absolute and relative change in the number of businesses operating in Northern Ireland by Local Government District, 2015 to 2025.

6. Background Notes

A series of detailed tables accompany the release of this publication and are available on the NISRA website.

Details of the methodology and definitions used in these tables, along with information on the coverage of the statistics, known quality issues, and disclosure control methods are included in the Quality and Methodology Information document on the NISRA website.

The data presented in this bulletin and accompanying tables are taken from a snapshot of the Northern Ireland element of the Inter-Departmental Business Register (IDBR) on 14th March, 2025.

The IDBR contains businesses that are registered for VAT and/or PAYE with HMRC. The IDBR covers most of the economy including agriculture, production and service industries in Northern Ireland. The business activity, or industry, is recorded using Standard Industrial Classification (UK SIC 2007) codes.

Information on foreign-owned businesses operating in the UK is obtained on an annual basis by the ONS from the market information company, Dun and Bradstreet. It should be noted that the foreign ownership data provided by Dun and Bradstreet is not complete and data published from IDBR records may not be the most up-to-date information available at that time. NISRA carries out further disaggregation of the foreign ownership data to allow it to distinguish between Northern Ireland-owned businesses and those owned elsewhere in the UK.

7. Related Links

The Northern Ireland Business Demography, 2023 publication can be accessed on the NISRA website.
The ONS UK business; activity, size and location: 2024 report can be accessed on the ONS website.
The ONS Business Demography UK, 2023 publication can be accessed on the ONS website.

Accredited Official Statistics status means that official statistics meet the highest standards of trustworthiness, quality and public value, and it is our responsibility to maintain compliance with these standards. Accredited official statistics are called National Statistics in the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007.

The United Kingdom Statistics Authority has accredited these statistics as National Statistics following a full assessment in June 2012. The assessment was undertaken in accordance with the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007 and signifies compliance with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics.

Since the assessment by the UK Statistics Authority, we have continued to comply with the Code of Practice for Statistics, and have made the following improvements:

Released the Northern Ireland business; activity, size, location and ownership publication without the Business Demography element which has meant these data are now released six months earlier than previous.
Transferred data to an improved case management system (Integrated Business Survey System).
Provided businesses with the option of submitting their survey forms electronically, which has increased response rates, sped up the data collection process and reduced the burden placed on businesses.
Shared data with the Business Register and Employment Survey to maintain the accuracy of the IDBR, thus further reducing the burden on businesses to provide the necessary information.
Improved accessibility by publishing the report and interactive charts in HTML, and accompanying data tables in Excel and Open Document Spreadsheet (ODS) formats.