Birmingham and Bristol are similarly sized business centres with 85,456 and 53,876 active companies respectively. This close match makes their industry mix, growth trajectory, and formation history all the more interesting to compare. Both cities share strength in Activities of other holding companies n.e.c. and Buying and selling of own real estate.
Birmingham has 85,456 active companies compared to 53,876 in Bristol — 31,580 more.
Birmingham has a higher 2020s company formation rate (63.7%) compared to Bristol (48.7%).
Both cities share these top industries: Activities of other holding companies n.e.c., Buying and selling of own real estate, Management consultancy activities other than financial management, Other business support service activities n.e.c., Other letting and operating of own or leased real estate. Birmingham is uniquely strong in Freight transport by road and Other human health activities, while Bristol stands out in Business and domestic software development and Development of building projects.