Edinburgh and Leeds are similarly sized business centres with 57,263 and 48,447 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 Buying and selling of own real estate and Information technology consultancy activities.
Edinburgh has 57,263 active companies compared to 48,447 in Leeds — 8,816 more.
Leeds has a higher 2020s company formation rate (56.1%) compared to Edinburgh (38.7%).
Both cities share these top industries: Buying and selling of own real estate, Information technology consultancy activities, 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. Edinburgh is uniquely strong in Business and domestic software development and Dormant Company, while Leeds stands out in Activities of other holding companies n.e.c. and Development of building projects.