Research

Original analysis of public data about the one-person trade business. Every figure is traced to a named official source with a publication date, the arithmetic is printed, and the limitations are on the page. Free to reuse with a link.

31 July 2026

Half a million UK trade businesses are missing from the official business register

Two official sources count UK construction businesses and disagree by around 500,485 — 57% of the industry. The gap is the one-person trade business.

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Figures last checked 31 July 2026. How we source and date every number on this site is set out in our editorial and sourcing policy.