Business openings and closures: how to read ONS data
By Decised editorial · Reviewed by Decised methodology review · Published 2026-09-01 · Updated 2026-09-01
How to interpret ONS business demography openings and closures without treating counts as demand.
Openings and closures are counts, not verdicts
ONS business demography statistics describe registrations and removals from the Inter-Departmental Business Register (IDBR) at aggregate level. They are observed benchmarks in custom reports when loaded, not approval signals.
Read with geography and sector
Always note geography, SIC section and the bulletin data year. A rising opening count in a sector does not prove your concept will succeed.
Limitations
This article is general guidance, not advice to proceed. Figures on city profiles are district-level registered-business statistics unless stated otherwise. Missing data in Decised stays missing.