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Companies in Cardiff

Cardiff is the 7th biggest place on the UK company register, with 54,797 live companies, or 1.0% of the UK total. 11,192 of those were formed in 2025. 25,424 (46.4%) have a proposal to strike off on file, above the UK figure of 7.3%. Compared with the UK as a whole, Cardiff stands out for mining of chemical and fertilizer minerals: 30 companies, 7.1 times the national share.

What Cardiff has more of than the rest of the UK

Each trade's share of Cardiff companies, compared with its share across the UK.

  • Mining of chemical and fertilizer minerals (30 companies)7.1×
  • Agents involved in the sale of textiles, clothing, fur, footwear and leather goods (460 companies)5.8×
  • Wholesale of radio, television goods & electrical household appliances (other than records, tapes, CD's & video tapes and the equipment used for playing them) (33 companies)2.7×
  • Agents involved in the sale of furniture, household goods, hardware and ironmongery (103 companies)2.6×
  • Agents involved in the sale of a variety of goods (450 companies)2.6×

Biggest trades in Cardiff

Live Cardiff companies, by year formed

Only companies still live are counted, so older years look smaller. 2026 stops on 1 November 2026.

20122026
See every year as a table
YearLive companies
2012890
20131,143
20141,438
20151,723
20162,095
20172,724
20183,608
20194,878
20202,653
20212,217
20222,267
20232,917
20244,091
202511,192
20264,633

Oldest active companies in Cardiff

  1. Saint Mary Street BuildingsFormed 1881
  2. Cardiff & Glamorganshire PropertiesFormed 1885
  3. Incorporated Law Society for Cardiff and DistrictFormed 1886
  4. Pontypridd Freehold LandFormed 1887
  5. Cardiff Masonic Hall CompanyFormed 1894

Nearest in size

Town means the post town of the registered address, which isn't always where a company trades. Many companies use an accountant's or formation agent's address. Figures come from Companies House on 1 November 2026.

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