Cardiff business data and market evidence
Official registered-business and population counts for the Cardiff local authority district (LAD). Figures are observed benchmarks, not a recommendation to start or expand here.
Data year: 2025 · Snapshot updated 2026-09-01
Evidence summary
Cardiff had 11,820 registered businesses and a resident population of 381,516 in the latest frozen snapshot. Business density was 31 businesses per 1,000 residents. Year-on-year registered-business change was 0.4%; population change was -0.1%.
Figures cover the Cardiff local authority district, not a street or catchment radius. Counts are registered businesses, not footfall, spend, or trading capacity.
- Population
- 381,516
- Population change (year on year)
- -0.1%
- Registered businesses
- 11,820
- Businesses per 1,000 residents
- 31
- Registered-business change (year on year)
- 0.4%
ONS mid-year population estimates (2025 data year)
ONS mid-year population estimates (2025 data year)
Nomis UK Business Counts (2025 data year) · local authority district
Nomis UK Business Counts (2025 data year) with ONS mid-year population estimates (2025 data year)
Nomis UK Business Counts (2025 data year) · counts, not trading volume
Leading sectors by registered-business count
SIC (Standard Industrial Classification) sections ordered by local registered-business count. Largest sectors by registered-business count from Nomis. Observed size only, not a recommendation of what to start.
| Sector | SIC section | Business count | Year-on-year change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Professional, scientific and technical activities | M | 1,960 | 0.5% |
| Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles | G | 1,700 | -2.3% |
| Construction | F | 1,345 | 1.5% |
| Administrative and support service activities | N | 1,005 | -0.5% |
| Information and communication | J | 975 | 1.6% |
What this evidence can tell you
- How many registered businesses and residents the local authority district had in the stated data year.
- How registered-business counts and population changed year on year at district level.
- Which SIC sections have the largest registered-business counts locally.
- Where public data stops, before demand, rent, footfall or street-level competition.
What it cannot tell you
- Customer demand, willingness to pay, or footfall at a specific address.
- Commercial rent, vacancy, or whether a sector is “saturated” for your idea.
- Trading performance, revenue, or survival probability for your plan.
- Whether you should proceed. Decised does not issue approval or success scores.
Questions to investigate next
- What local demand signals exist for your specific idea (surveys, pilots, trade enquiries)?
- What rent, rates and fit-out costs apply at the streets or sites you are considering?
- Where footfall or spend data exist for your format, and what is still missing?
- Who already trades nearby at street level, beyond district-wide sector counts?
- What pricing, staffing and ramp assumptions belong in your own forecast?
Sources and provenance
Nomis UK Business Counts
Publisher: Nomis / ONS· Geography: Local authority district· Data year: 2025· Licence: Open Government Licence (typical for these releases; confirm on source page)
Limitations: Registered-business counts. Does not measure demand, rent, or registered-business concentration beyond the counts shown.
Official sourceONS mid-year population estimates
Publisher: Office for National Statistics· Geography: Local authority district· Data year: 2025· Licence: Open Government Licence (typical for these releases; confirm on source page)
Limitations: Resident population, not daytime or visitor population.
Official source
Allowlisted city snapshot from Nomis UK Business Counts and ONS mid-year population estimates for the local authority district. Sectors listed are the largest by registered-business count, not a recommendation of what to start. Crime, news, custom searches, and cash forecasts are not included.
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