Public city evidence profile

Manchester business data and market evidence

Official registered-business and population counts for the Manchester 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

Manchester had 23,715 registered businesses and a resident population of 588,256 in the latest frozen snapshot. Business density was 40.3 businesses per 1,000 residents. Year-on-year registered-business change was 3.6%; population change was -0.1%.

Figures cover the Manchester local authority district, not a street or catchment radius. Counts are registered businesses, not footfall, spend, or trading capacity.

Population: 588,256
Population change (year on year): -0.1%
Registered businesses: 23,715
Businesses per 1,000 residents: 40.3
Registered-business change (year on year): 3.6%

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
Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles	G	4,710	0.6%
Professional, scientific and technical activities	M	4,305	3.5%
Administrative and support service activities	N	2,080	2.7%
Accommodation and food service activities	I	1,955	9.2%
Construction	F	1,895	6.2%

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 source
ONS 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.

Methodology · Data sources register

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