DORSET welcomed its record number of new businesses in 2022, figures have revealed.

The numbers show that the county was one of the most successful in the country, with a total of 8,427 new firms registered last year.

This is an increase of 11.1 per cent on 2021, when 7,584 were recorded, bringing the number of registered companies in Dorset to an all-time high of 61,217.

The statistics are taken from Inform Direct, using data from Companies House and the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

The urban areas of the county, Bournemouth and Poole, formed the highest number of businesses but there were also impressive figures for the rest of the county.

West Dorset welcomed 704 new companies in 2022, making a total of 8323 in the region, while Purbeck saw more than 2,000 new company formations.

The more rural region of North Dorset saw the least number of new firms start up shop, with 305. 

John Korchak, managing director at Inform Direct, said: “It is great that Dorset can celebrate a record year for the number of new businesses established.

“The last few years have been turbulent for businesses, with inflation and a cautious economic outlook following the impact of the pandemic.

"However, in these figures we see evidence of the ambition, creativity and resilience of entrepreneurs in Dorset, as well as the benefits from the county’s support for a range of enterprises.

“This positivity is mirrored in the overall picture for the UK which saw a record number of new companies established during 2022, exceeding 800,000 for the very first time.”

The UK as a whole saw 805,141 new companies in 2022, representing an increase of 4.3 per cent on 2021. 

Dissolutions of UK companies totalled 578,679, down on the year before when 606,912 were recorded.

To see the report in full, visit www.informdirect.co.uk/company-formations-2022/