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Companies in Leeds

Leeds is the 8th biggest place on the UK company register, with 54,636 live companies, or 1.0% of the UK total. 6,826 of those were formed in 2025. 3,600 (6.6%) have a proposal to strike off on file, close to the UK figure of 7.3%. Compared with the UK as a whole, Leeds stands out for cargo handling for land transport activities: 74 companies, 6.1 times the national share.

What Leeds has more of than the rest of the UK

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

  • Cargo handling for land transport activities (74 companies)6.1×
  • Extraction of crude petroleum (34 companies)2.8×
  • Retail sale of footwear in specialised stores (34 companies)2.6×
  • Residential care activities for the elderly and disabled (179 companies)2.6×
  • Gen construction & civil engineer (37 companies)2.5×

Biggest trades in Leeds

Live Leeds 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
20121,032
20131,209
20141,489
20151,666
20161,791
20172,150
20182,447
20192,925
20202,734
20212,845
20223,195
20233,789
20244,573
20256,826
20266,165

Oldest active companies in Leeds

  1. Leeds Cricket Football and Athletic CompanyFormed 1889
  2. Roberts,mart & Co.Formed 1890
  3. Garnett Dickinson HoldingsFormed 1891
  4. Yorkshire Archaeological and Historical SocietyFormed 1893
  5. The London and Overseas Insurance CompanyFormed 1893

Funny company names registered in Leeds

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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