Data
Invoice finance use by sector and region
From our analysis of the Companies House register of charges. Charges filed in 2025, measured against the register at 1 November 2026.
For every 1,000 active recruitment companies, 16.3 had a new invoice finance charge filed in 2025. Across whole sectors the highest rates were water and waste (4.0 per 1,000) and manufacturing (3.8). By region of registered office, the West Midlands was highest at 1.6 per 1,000 and Northern Ireland lowest at 0.4.
Each rate counts active companies with at least one new invoice finance charge filed in 2025, per 1,000 active companies in the same group. One charge is not a count of users: a company can use invoice finance under a charge filed in an earlier year. The headline counts and the method are on the key figures page.
By sector
| Sector | Per 1,000 | Companies with a charge | Active companies |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water and waste | 4.0 | 65 | 16,189 |
| Manufacturing | 3.8 | 792 | 210,823 |
| Administrative and support | 3.3 | 1,158 | 348,966 |
| Transport and storage | 2.8 | 371 | 132,879 |
| Mining | 1.9 | 14 | 7,386 |
| Financial and insurance | 1.5 | 335 | 220,436 |
| Construction | 1.0 | 515 | 503,878 |
| Agriculture | 0.9 | 37 | 41,772 |
| Wholesale and retail | 0.9 | 593 | 656,128 |
| Health and social care | 0.9 | 187 | 213,087 |
| Energy supply | 0.8 | 14 | 16,521 |
| Professional and scientific | 0.6 | 350 | 589,056 |
| Education | 0.5 | 49 | 105,378 |
| Other services | 0.5 | 108 | 207,815 |
| Information and communication | 0.4 | 155 | 439,385 |
| Hospitality | 0.2 | 52 | 249,579 |
| Real estate | 0.1 | 65 | 609,863 |
| Recruitment (SIC 78, part of administrative and support) | 16.3 | 732 | 45,000 |
Recruitment (SIC division 78) sits inside administrative and support and is shown separately below the line. Its 45,000 active companies are the companies whose first SIC code is in division 78 and whose status is Active in the Companies House company data file of 1 November 2026. Sector is the SIC 2007 section of each company's first SIC code, which the company chooses and which may not match what it mostly does. The recruitment base of 45,000 is our count of active companies whose first SIC code is in division 78 in that file: 23,869 with code 78109, 11,758 with 78200, 8,206 with 78300 and 1,167 with 78101. It is a round number by chance: the same count in the 1 October 2026 file was 45,023. Coverage: 98.6% of the companies with a charge (4,865 of 4,936) and 90.6% of active companies (4,690,804 of 5,179,256) have a usable SIC code. Codes left out on both sides: none supplied, old four-digit codes, 99999, 74990 and 98000. Small sectors such as mining and energy rest on counts of 14.
Source: our analysis of the Companies House register of charges, from the Companies House charges stream and the Companies House company data file; charges filed in 2025, register at 1 November 2026. How we measured it.
By region of registered office
| Region of registered office | Per 1,000 | Companies with a charge | Active companies |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Midlands | 1.6 | 630 | 393,589 |
| East Midlands | 1.3 | 375 | 281,105 |
| North West | 1.3 | 646 | 507,749 |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | 1.3 | 390 | 309,579 |
| North East | 1.2 | 135 | 116,347 |
| Wales | 1.2 | 166 | 141,609 |
| East of England | 1.1 | 554 | 485,376 |
| South East | 1.1 | 753 | 686,450 |
| Scotland | 0.8 | 232 | 286,276 |
| South West | 0.8 | 262 | 334,997 |
| London | 0.5 | 760 | 1,437,532 |
| Northern Ireland | 0.4 | 32 | 83,242 |
A company's registered office can be an accountant's or formation agent's address, so region counts reflect where companies are registered, not where they trade. Region comes from the postcode district of the registered office, mapped to the most common region for that district: tested on 41,623 postcodes, 99.4% matched (method). Coverage: 5,063,851 of 5,179,256 active companies have a mapped region; 1 company with a charge had none.
Source: our analysis of the Companies House register of charges, from the Companies House charges stream and the Companies House company data file; charges filed in 2025, register at 1 November 2026. How we measured it.
Read with care
The charges are from 2025 and the company counts are from 1 November 2026, so between 10 and 22 months apart depending on when in 2025 each charge was filed. Companies that stopped being active since 2025 drop out of the count of companies with a charge. Neither side includes companies already dissolved. UK Finance counts the clients of its member lenders: about 34,000 businesses at the end of 2024, for invoice finance and asset-based lending together (UK Finance, end of 2024). These figures count charges on the public register, so the two measure different things.
| Figure | Value | Out of | Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active companies with a new invoice finance charge per 1,000: Water and waste | 4.0 | 65 of 16,189 active companies | Charges filed in 2025; register at 1 Nov 2026 |
| Active companies with a new invoice finance charge per 1,000: Manufacturing | 3.8 | 792 of 210,823 active companies | Charges filed in 2025; register at 1 Nov 2026 |
| Active companies with a new invoice finance charge per 1,000: Administrative and support | 3.3 | 1,158 of 348,966 active companies | Charges filed in 2025; register at 1 Nov 2026 |
| Active companies with a new invoice finance charge per 1,000: Transport and storage | 2.8 | 371 of 132,879 active companies | Charges filed in 2025; register at 1 Nov 2026 |
| Active companies with a new invoice finance charge per 1,000: Mining | 1.9 | 14 of 7,386 active companies | Charges filed in 2025; register at 1 Nov 2026 |
| Active companies with a new invoice finance charge per 1,000: Financial and insurance | 1.5 | 335 of 220,436 active companies | Charges filed in 2025; register at 1 Nov 2026 |
| Active companies with a new invoice finance charge per 1,000: Construction | 1.0 | 515 of 503,878 active companies | Charges filed in 2025; register at 1 Nov 2026 |
| Active companies with a new invoice finance charge per 1,000: Agriculture | 0.9 | 37 of 41,772 active companies | Charges filed in 2025; register at 1 Nov 2026 |
| Active companies with a new invoice finance charge per 1,000: Wholesale and retail | 0.9 | 593 of 656,128 active companies | Charges filed in 2025; register at 1 Nov 2026 |
| Active companies with a new invoice finance charge per 1,000: Health and social care | 0.9 | 187 of 213,087 active companies | Charges filed in 2025; register at 1 Nov 2026 |
| Active companies with a new invoice finance charge per 1,000: Energy supply | 0.8 | 14 of 16,521 active companies | Charges filed in 2025; register at 1 Nov 2026 |
| Active companies with a new invoice finance charge per 1,000: Professional and scientific | 0.6 | 350 of 589,056 active companies | Charges filed in 2025; register at 1 Nov 2026 |
| Active companies with a new invoice finance charge per 1,000: Education | 0.5 | 49 of 105,378 active companies | Charges filed in 2025; register at 1 Nov 2026 |
| Active companies with a new invoice finance charge per 1,000: Other services | 0.5 | 108 of 207,815 active companies | Charges filed in 2025; register at 1 Nov 2026 |
| Active companies with a new invoice finance charge per 1,000: Information and communication | 0.4 | 155 of 439,385 active companies | Charges filed in 2025; register at 1 Nov 2026 |
| Active companies with a new invoice finance charge per 1,000: Hospitality | 0.2 | 52 of 249,579 active companies | Charges filed in 2025; register at 1 Nov 2026 |
| Active companies with a new invoice finance charge per 1,000: Real estate | 0.1 | 65 of 609,863 active companies | Charges filed in 2025; register at 1 Nov 2026 |
| Active companies with a new invoice finance charge per 1,000: Recruitment (SIC 78, part of administrative and support) | 16.3 | 732 of 45,000 active companies | Charges filed in 2025; register at 1 Nov 2026 |
| Active companies with a new invoice finance charge per 1,000, registered office in: West Midlands | 1.6 | 630 of 393,589 active companies | Charges filed in 2025; register at 1 Nov 2026 |
| Active companies with a new invoice finance charge per 1,000, registered office in: East Midlands | 1.3 | 375 of 281,105 active companies | Charges filed in 2025; register at 1 Nov 2026 |
| Active companies with a new invoice finance charge per 1,000, registered office in: North West | 1.3 | 646 of 507,749 active companies | Charges filed in 2025; register at 1 Nov 2026 |
| Active companies with a new invoice finance charge per 1,000, registered office in: Yorkshire and The Humber | 1.3 | 390 of 309,579 active companies | Charges filed in 2025; register at 1 Nov 2026 |
| Active companies with a new invoice finance charge per 1,000, registered office in: North East | 1.2 | 135 of 116,347 active companies | Charges filed in 2025; register at 1 Nov 2026 |
| Active companies with a new invoice finance charge per 1,000, registered office in: Wales | 1.2 | 166 of 141,609 active companies | Charges filed in 2025; register at 1 Nov 2026 |
| Active companies with a new invoice finance charge per 1,000, registered office in: East of England | 1.1 | 554 of 485,376 active companies | Charges filed in 2025; register at 1 Nov 2026 |
| Active companies with a new invoice finance charge per 1,000, registered office in: South East | 1.1 | 753 of 686,450 active companies | Charges filed in 2025; register at 1 Nov 2026 |
| Active companies with a new invoice finance charge per 1,000, registered office in: Scotland | 0.8 | 232 of 286,276 active companies | Charges filed in 2025; register at 1 Nov 2026 |
| Active companies with a new invoice finance charge per 1,000, registered office in: South West | 0.8 | 262 of 334,997 active companies | Charges filed in 2025; register at 1 Nov 2026 |
| Active companies with a new invoice finance charge per 1,000, registered office in: London | 0.5 | 760 of 1,437,532 active companies | Charges filed in 2025; register at 1 Nov 2026 |
| Active companies with a new invoice finance charge per 1,000, registered office in: Northern Ireland | 0.4 | 32 of 83,242 active companies | Charges filed in 2025; register at 1 Nov 2026 |
Source: Our analysis of the Companies House register of charges (Open Government Licence v3.0); aggregation CC BY 4.0
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### Invoice finance use per 1,000 active companies, by sector and by region of registered office (charges filed in 2025, register at 1 November 2026) | Figure | Value | Out of | Period | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Active companies with a new invoice finance charge per 1,000: Water and waste | 4.0 | 65 of 16,189 active companies | Charges filed in 2025; register at 1 Nov 2026 | | Active companies with a new invoice finance charge per 1,000: Manufacturing | 3.8 | 792 of 210,823 active companies | Charges filed in 2025; register at 1 Nov 2026 | | Active companies with a new invoice finance charge per 1,000: Administrative and support | 3.3 | 1,158 of 348,966 active companies | Charges filed in 2025; register at 1 Nov 2026 | | Active companies with a new invoice finance charge per 1,000: Transport and storage | 2.8 | 371 of 132,879 active companies | Charges filed in 2025; register at 1 Nov 2026 | | Active companies with a new invoice finance charge per 1,000: Mining | 1.9 | 14 of 7,386 active companies | Charges filed in 2025; register at 1 Nov 2026 | | Active companies with a new invoice finance charge per 1,000: Financial and insurance | 1.5 | 335 of 220,436 active companies | Charges filed in 2025; register at 1 Nov 2026 | | Active companies with a new invoice finance charge per 1,000: Construction | 1.0 | 515 of 503,878 active companies | Charges filed in 2025; register at 1 Nov 2026 | | Active companies with a new invoice finance charge per 1,000: Agriculture | 0.9 | 37 of 41,772 active companies | Charges filed in 2025; register at 1 Nov 2026 | | Active companies with a new invoice finance charge per 1,000: Wholesale and retail | 0.9 | 593 of 656,128 active companies | Charges filed in 2025; register at 1 Nov 2026 | | Active companies with a new invoice finance charge per 1,000: Health and social care | 0.9 | 187 of 213,087 active companies | Charges filed in 2025; register at 1 Nov 2026 | | Active companies with a new invoice finance charge per 1,000: Energy supply | 0.8 | 14 of 16,521 active companies | Charges filed in 2025; register at 1 Nov 2026 | | Active companies with a new invoice finance charge per 1,000: Professional and scientific | 0.6 | 350 of 589,056 active companies | Charges filed in 2025; register at 1 Nov 2026 | | Active companies with a new invoice finance charge per 1,000: Education | 0.5 | 49 of 105,378 active companies | Charges filed in 2025; register at 1 Nov 2026 | | Active companies with a new invoice finance charge per 1,000: Other services | 0.5 | 108 of 207,815 active companies | Charges filed in 2025; register at 1 Nov 2026 | | Active companies with a new invoice finance charge per 1,000: Information and communication | 0.4 | 155 of 439,385 active companies | Charges filed in 2025; register at 1 Nov 2026 | | Active companies with a new invoice finance charge per 1,000: Hospitality | 0.2 | 52 of 249,579 active companies | Charges filed in 2025; register at 1 Nov 2026 | | Active companies with a new invoice finance charge per 1,000: Real estate | 0.1 | 65 of 609,863 active companies | Charges filed in 2025; register at 1 Nov 2026 | | Active companies with a new invoice finance charge per 1,000: Recruitment (SIC 78, part of administrative and support) | 16.3 | 732 of 45,000 active companies | Charges filed in 2025; register at 1 Nov 2026 | | Active companies with a new invoice finance charge per 1,000, registered office in: West Midlands | 1.6 | 630 of 393,589 active companies | Charges filed in 2025; register at 1 Nov 2026 | | Active companies with a new invoice finance charge per 1,000, registered office in: East Midlands | 1.3 | 375 of 281,105 active companies | Charges filed in 2025; register at 1 Nov 2026 | | Active companies with a new invoice finance charge per 1,000, registered office in: North West | 1.3 | 646 of 507,749 active companies | Charges filed in 2025; register at 1 Nov 2026 | | Active companies with a new invoice finance charge per 1,000, registered office in: Yorkshire and The Humber | 1.3 | 390 of 309,579 active companies | Charges filed in 2025; register at 1 Nov 2026 | | Active companies with a new invoice finance charge per 1,000, registered office in: North East | 1.2 | 135 of 116,347 active companies | Charges filed in 2025; register at 1 Nov 2026 | | Active companies with a new invoice finance charge per 1,000, registered office in: Wales | 1.2 | 166 of 141,609 active companies | Charges filed in 2025; register at 1 Nov 2026 | | Active companies with a new invoice finance charge per 1,000, registered office in: East of England | 1.1 | 554 of 485,376 active companies | Charges filed in 2025; register at 1 Nov 2026 | | Active companies with a new invoice finance charge per 1,000, registered office in: South East | 1.1 | 753 of 686,450 active companies | Charges filed in 2025; register at 1 Nov 2026 | | Active companies with a new invoice finance charge per 1,000, registered office in: Scotland | 0.8 | 232 of 286,276 active companies | Charges filed in 2025; register at 1 Nov 2026 | | Active companies with a new invoice finance charge per 1,000, registered office in: South West | 0.8 | 262 of 334,997 active companies | Charges filed in 2025; register at 1 Nov 2026 | | Active companies with a new invoice finance charge per 1,000, registered office in: London | 0.5 | 760 of 1,437,532 active companies | Charges filed in 2025; register at 1 Nov 2026 | | Active companies with a new invoice finance charge per 1,000, registered office in: Northern Ireland | 0.4 | 32 of 83,242 active companies | Charges filed in 2025; register at 1 Nov 2026 | Source: Our analysis of the Companies House register of charges (Open Government Licence v3.0); aggregation CC BY 4.0
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Cite this dataset
Parker, A. (2026). Invoice finance use per 1,000 active companies, by sector and region [Data set]. Muswell Rose Consulting Ltd. https://marketinvoice.co.uk/data/uk-invoice-finance-by-sector-and-region/ (data as at 2026-11-02). Licensed CC BY 4.0.
Related: UK invoice finance key figures, monthly market activity, invoice finance by industry and statistics hub.
Author: Adam Parker (ORCID 0009-0008-0368-4408)
Publisher: Muswell Rose Consulting Ltd (company number 15269776). This page is hosted on MarketInvoice. The figures are aggregate counts from public sources with the method stated on the page.
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