UK business deaths: construction
UK business deaths: construction stood at 10,090 Businesses in Q2 2026, according to Office for National Statistics (ONS). It is one of the indicators in the Business births, deaths and companies table (Value · Quarterly), with a complete series running from Q1 2017 to Q2 2026. The complete series with an interactive chart, free to download.
This indicator in the Business births, deaths and companies table
| Indicator | Q2-2026 | Q1-2026 | Q4-2025 | Q3-2025 | Q2-2025 | Q1-2025 | Q4-2024 | Q3-2024 | Q2-2024 | Q1-2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business deaths by industry | |||||||||||
| Construction | 10,090 | 10,715 | 8,860 | 8,615 | 10,050 | 10,915 | 9,230 | 8,970 | 10,215 | 10,880 | |
| Professional, scientific and technical activities | 12,425 | 12,675 | 9,440 | 9,015 | 11,870 | 11,670 | 9,555 | 9,145 | 11,600 | 11,665 |
Understanding UK business deaths: construction
Corporate closures and enterprise deregistrations originating within the building and construction sector across the United Kingdom are enumerated in this specific industrial breakdown. While aggregate deaths cover every commercial field, this series isolates contractors, housebuilders, and specialised trade suppliers to reveal structural attrition within construction activity. The figures encompass formal insolvencies, voluntary dissolutions, and entities dropping off tax registers due to prolonged inactivity.
Evaluating these numbers necessitates accounting for the cyclical nature of subcontracting networks, where shell entities or project-specific firms frequently wind down upon project completion. Users must distinguish between formal corporate insolvency and routine administrative deregistration when assessing sector health. Year-on-year comparisons are generally more reliable than consecutive quarter changes, as weather disruptions and seasonal contract renewals introduce substantial short-term noise.
Frequently asked questions
- Does this count include project-specific subcontracting firms?
- Yes, if an enterprise registered under construction codes undergoes formal dissolution or deregistration, it enters the count.
- How does this differ from insolvency statistics?
- Administrative deaths include voluntary closures and unregistered thresholds, whereas formal insolvencies involve specific legal proceedings.
- Why are consecutive quarter comparisons misleading for construction deaths?
- Weather patterns and seasonal project completions create sharp fluctuations that obscure underlying trends.