23,787 active companies are currently registered in Reading, a major UK business hub. Out of 27,873 companies ever registered here, 1,704 are no longer active — a 85% survival rate. The area has seen significant recent growth, with 51.4% of active businesses incorporated since 2020. Over half (60%) of active companies were formed since 2020, making this one of the UK's fastest-growing business locations. The most common industry sector is information technology consultancy activities, with 1,495 companies. The area hosts 623 large enterprises, 387 small firms. Reading is home to 468 FCA-regulated firms and 246 registered charities. Companies here hold 2,565 government contracts worth £14.0B in total. The average company age is 9.0 years. The earliest company registration in Reading dates back to 1865.
Source: Companies House register via UVAGATRON, September 2026
Reading is a growth hotspot — over half of its active companies were formed since 2020.
The average active company in Reading is 9 years old. There are 468 <Link href="/glossary/fca-financial-conduct-authority">FCA-regulated firms</Link> in the area. 246 registered charities operate locally.
Companies in Reading have been awarded 2,565 government contracts with a combined value of £14012.7M. See the Top Government Contractors report.
There are 23,787 active companies registered in Reading, out of 27,873 total. 1,704 (6%) are no longer active.
The top industries in Reading include Information technology consultancy activities (1,495 companies), Other letting and operating of own or leased real estate (1,326 companies), Buying and selling of own real estate (1,278 companies).
51.4% of currently active companies in Reading were incorporated since 2020, indicating strong recent growth.
Our database contains 168,541 data signals across 12 categories for active companies in Reading. The largest category is Governance with 73,499 signals from 6 sources.
The oldest company registration in Reading dates back to 1865, spanning over 161 years of business history.