23,857 active companies are currently registered in Bolton, a major UK business hub. Out of 27,426 companies ever registered here, 120 are no longer active — a 87% survival rate. The area has seen significant recent growth, with 63% of active businesses incorporated since 2020. Over half (69%) of active companies were formed since 2020, making this one of the UK's fastest-growing business locations. The most common industry sector is buying and selling of own real estate, with 1,238 companies. The area hosts 150 large enterprises, 102 small firms. Bolton is home to 495 FCA-regulated firms and 157 registered charities. Companies here hold 507 government contracts worth £3.4B in total. The average company age is 6.8 years. The earliest company registration in Bolton dates back to 1879.
Source: Companies House register via UVAGATRON, August 2026
Bolton is a growth hotspot — over half of its active companies were formed since 2020.
The average active company in Bolton is 6.8 years old. There are 495 <Link href="/glossary/fca-financial-conduct-authority">FCA-regulated firms</Link> in the area. 157 registered charities operate locally.
Companies in Bolton have been awarded 507 government contracts with a combined value of £3409.0M. See the Top Government Contractors report.
There are 23,857 active companies registered in Bolton, out of 27,426 total. 120 (0%) are no longer active.
The top industries in Bolton include Buying and selling of own real estate (1,238 companies), Other letting and operating of own or leased real estate (1,206 companies), Retail sale via mail order houses or via Internet (1,152 companies).
63% of currently active companies in Bolton were incorporated since 2020, indicating strong recent growth.
Our database contains 147,562 data signals across 12 categories for active companies in Bolton. The largest category is Governance with 74,541 signals from 5 sources.
The oldest company registration in Bolton dates back to 1879, spanning over 147 years of business history.