5,896 active companies are based in Canterbury according to Companies House records. Out of 6,968 companies ever registered here, 576 are no longer active — a 85% survival rate. The area has seen significant recent growth, with 53.4% of active businesses incorporated since 2020. Over half (64%) of active companies were formed since 2020, making this one of the UK's fastest-growing business locations. The most common industry sector is other letting and operating of own or leased real estate, with 287 companies. Canterbury is home to 103 FCA-regulated firms and 94 registered charities. Companies here hold 104 government contracts worth £557.8M in total. The average company age is 8.9 years. The earliest company registration in Canterbury dates back to 1891.
Source: Companies House register via UVAGATRON, September 2026
Canterbury is a growth hotspot — over half of its active companies were formed since 2020.
The average active company in Canterbury is 8.9 years old. There are 103 <Link href="/glossary/fca-financial-conduct-authority">FCA-regulated firms</Link> in the area. 94 registered charities operate locally.
Companies in Canterbury have been awarded 104 government contracts with a combined value of £557.8M. See the Top Government Contractors report.
There are 5,896 active companies registered in Canterbury, out of 6,968 total. 576 (8%) are no longer active.
The top industries in Canterbury include Other letting and operating of own or leased real estate (287 companies), Management consultancy activities other than financial management (248 companies), Buying and selling of own real estate (247 companies).
53.4% of currently active companies in Canterbury were incorporated since 2020, indicating strong recent growth.
Our database contains 39,867 data signals across 12 categories for active companies in Canterbury. The largest category is Governance with 18,160 signals from 6 sources.
The oldest company registration in Canterbury dates back to 1891, spanning over 135 years of business history.