Women In Business Figures, 2024

Chapter 1

Key findings

A total of 1.5 million companies in the UK have a female director listed (in February 2024).
The total number of companies with female directors accounts for just over a third (35%) of all active companies in the UK.
There has been a 7% increase in female directors since 2019.
Companies with female directors listed have a lower insolvency rate.
44% of companies in the South West have a female director listed.
Construction companies had the lowest representation of female directors.

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Chapter 1

Which industries have the most female directors in the UK?

The number of UK companies with female directors by industry

When looking at companies with male-only directors versus companies with female directors, there are clear differences between which industries are most popular with each gender.

Over half (60%) of those who run businesses in ‘households as employers’, which includes jobs like tutors, cleaners, and secretaries, had a female director listed. This was followed by industries such as ‘Education’ (56%), and 'Health and Social Work' (54%).

On the other hand, 'Construction', 'Transport and Storage', and 'Electricity & Gas' were industries dominated by men, with fewer than 30% of the companies in these sectors having a female director.

The table below shows the UK’s industries with the most female directors in 2024 (February 2024) compared by sector. It also includes the number of companies with only male directors within the same timeframe.

Chapter 1

How many companies have a female director?

In 2023, there was a 7% increase in the number of companies with at least one female director compared to 2019. This signifies that either a woman led the business individually or was part of a management team which included a female director.

While the number of female directors had been steadily rising over the years, peaking in 2022, there was a slight decline in 2023. This decline could be attributed to various factors, including economic conditions, shifts in government policies, or social influences, mirroring a similar trend observed in the number of business insolvencies during the same period.

Comparatively, there was a 3% uptick in the number of companies with only male directors compared to 2019.

Despite these fluctuations, the enduring gap between the counts of female and male directors underscores the persistent challenges in attaining gender equality within business leadership roles.

The chart below provides an overview of the total count of directors catogorised by gender for 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023.

Chapter 1

Which regions in the UK have the most female directors?

At the top of the table is the South West, with 44% of companies including a female director on the board.

Following closely, the South East claims 40% of directors with female representation, while the East Midlands follows suit with 39% of companies listing female directors. Despite these promising figures, gender equality in business leadership remains an aspiration in these regions.

At the other end of the table, London and the North West have the lowest rate of female directors, at 33% and 36%, respectively.

The following table shows the number of companies categorised by region, accompanied by the corresponding percentages representing gender distribution for the current year (data accurate as of February 2024).

Chapter 1

Percentage of company insolvencies by gender

In 2023, 55,907 companies with a female director listed faced insolvency, accounting for approximately 3.67% of companies with a female director on the board encountering financial challenges.

In contrast, male-led companies experienced a higher number of insolvencies, with 5.11% of businesses facing financial challenges. This means that companies were 39% more likely to become insolvent if their boards were male-dominated.

Despite potential challenges, these companies demonstrate a remarkable ability to weather financial storms, maintaining a lower incidence of insolvencies in comparison to their male-led counterparts.

In recent months, companies have grappled with various economic issues, including cautious consumer spending and rising costs. Alongside these challenges, demands for wage increases and higher energy bills have also added strain to businesses, making it difficult to manage expenses throughout the year.

The total number of UK company insolvencies for 2023 was 30,199. This number represents a 12% increase compared to the same period in 2022 and a 52% increase compared to 2021. View the full insolvency report here.

Want to explore the data for yourself?

Whether you want to understand the impact of Insolvencies across a group of sectors or identify companies from a certain region, you can find all of this data and more within the Creditsafe platform.

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Chapter 1

Methodology

Creditsafe set out to discover which regions and sectors had the most opportunities for companies with female directors. Here’s how we analysed the data:

We analysed the total number of companies operating in the UK that listed at least one female director on their company report. This involved collating data from our wholly owned database to ensure a comprehensive representation of businesses with female leadership.
We identified the genders of directors by analysing titles stored in our company database. This method was used due to limitations with company house data, where genders are not recorded when adding a director to a company.
Our analysis involved a comparative study between companies featuring at least one female director and those solely led by male directors. By comparing these two categories, we aimed to identify any notable differences or patterns in business dynamics and performance based on gender representation in leadership roles.
The company numbers provided are based solely on limited companies; non-limited companies have not been included in this analysis.
The report was created and analysed using Creditsafe's extensive database, which encompasses insights on over 430 million businesses, directors, and shareholders worldwide. Our data sources include local registries, Companies house, local publications and more.

Research & Reports

Exploring Women in Business: Statistics and Trends for 2024

Key findings

Which industries have the most female directors in the UK?

The number of UK companies with female directors by industry

How many companies have a female director?

Which regions in the UK have the most female directors?

Percentage of company insolvencies by gender

Want to explore the data for yourself?

Methodology

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