6,241 active companies are based in Sunderland according to Companies House records. Out of 7,222 companies ever registered here, 20 are no longer active — a 86% survival rate. The area has seen significant recent growth, with 63.5% of active businesses incorporated since 2020. Over half (71%) 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 326 companies. 88 medium and large companies operate here, indicating a significant commercial presence. Sunderland is home to 157 FCA-regulated firms and 94 registered charities. Companies here hold 267 government contracts worth £849.9M in total. The average company age is 6.9 years. The earliest company registration in Sunderland dates back to 1903.
Source: Companies House register via UVAGATRON, August 2026
Sunderland is a growth hotspot — over half of its active companies were formed since 2020.
The average active company in Sunderland is 6.9 years old. There are 157 <Link href="/glossary/fca-financial-conduct-authority">FCA-regulated firms</Link> in the area. 94 registered charities operate locally.
Companies in Sunderland have been awarded 267 government contracts with a combined value of £849.9M. See the Top Government Contractors report.
There are 6,241 active companies registered in Sunderland, out of 7,222 total. 20 (0%) are no longer active.
The top industries in Sunderland include Other letting and operating of own or leased real estate (326 companies), Buying and selling of own real estate (311 companies), Take-away food shops and mobile food stands (233 companies).
63.5% of currently active companies in Sunderland were incorporated since 2020, indicating strong recent growth.
Our database contains 39,877 data signals across 12 categories for active companies in Sunderland. The largest category is Governance with 19,545 signals from 5 sources.
The oldest company registration in Sunderland dates back to 1903, spanning over 123 years of business history.