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What is The Gender Index?
Mapping the impact of female-led companies on the UK economy is crucial for a stronger, more inclusive economy. Yet, a freely available tool to measure their number, potential, and support their growth has been lacking.
Enter our groundbreaking data source, which benchmarks female entrepreneur activity and spotlights the gender gap in entrepreneurship. Join us in using this free data to empower women and bridge the divide.
How does it work?
Our AI-powered tool is one-of-a-kind, mapping all 4.5+ million active UK companies in real-time. With customizable search options, explore insights by gender, sector, investment type, ethnic minority leadership, and more.
Track progress, growth, and trends by various criteria instantly. All the data you need is right at your fingertips.
Who is it for?
Whether you're a female founder seeking growth, a policymaker, journalist, educator, corporate entity, or investor, we've got you covered.
The Gender Index is freely accessible and open for use. Download our annual reports or craft and distribute your customized reports to spark dialogue, ideas, and policy actions. Together, let's propel towards a more equitable future.
The national picture
AI Summary: Across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, companies led by females experienced varying percentage changes in the last 12 months. Northern Ireland saw the highest growth at 0.63%, while England experienced a decline of 0.13%. Trends show fluctuations in female leadership within companies across the national picture.
Nation
% female-led*
% change**
England
19.25%
-0.13%
Northern Ireland
17.71%
0.63%
Scotland
17.95%
-0.02%
Wales
18.65%
0.22%
*Active UK companies
**previous 12 months
Female incorporations vs closures over the last 12 months
AI Summary: Female company incorporations showed a fluctuating trend over the last 12 months, with a peak in April 2024 at 20608, while closures experienced a steady increase, reaching 13813 in October 2024. Overall, incorporations saw a 72% growth, while closures had a 32% increase during the period.
Generational shift through gender
AI Summary: Generational shift in companies is evident, with a decline in male-led companies from 70% to 55.8% and an increase in female-led companies from 20.8% to 21.5%. The percentage of other gender-led companies also fluctuated, showing a trend towards diversity and inclusion.
Active UK company generation analysis
Investment into active female-led companies
AI Summary: Over the last 12 months, investment into active female-led companies has shown a 4.93% growth in Venture capital, 3.22% decline in Private Equity, 5.45% growth in Angel investments, and 7.71% growth in Other investments. Changing trends indicate a shift towards Angel and Other investments.
Investment type
No. of investments*
Percentage**
Venture capital
66
4.93%
Private Equity
14
3.22%
Angel
2.7K
5.45%
Other
1.05K
7.71%
*Last 12 months**of all investments
4.37%
Increase in the number of active ethnic minority female-led companies across the UK over the last 12 months
Ethnicity across the UK
AI Summary: There has been a 4.37% growth in the number of ethnic minority female-led companies in the last 12 months. This indicates a positive trend in the representation of ethnic minority women in leadership roles within companies.
Female-led sector analysis
AI Summary: Female-led companies in Health, wellbeing and social care sector saw the highest growth at 39.89%, while Arts, entertainment, and recreation sector experienced the lowest at 24.21%. Education and Public health and safety services sectors also showed significant growth. In contrast, Energy suppliers and Construction sectors had the lowest female leadership percentages at 5.60% and 7.91% respectively.
Top 5 female-led sectors
%*
Health, wellbeing and social care
39.80%
Education
36.00%
Public health and safety services
34.00%
Service sector
31.60%
Arts, entertainment and recreation
24.20%
Bottom 5 female-led sectors
%*
Energy suppliers
5.60%
Construction
7.90%
Mining and quarrying
9.70%
Financial services
10.40%
Water and waste services
10.60%
*Percentage of Female-led companies
International trade
AI Summary: Gender plays a significant role in international trade, with female-led companies accounting for around 12% of active importers and exporters in the UK. There is a noticeable disparity in the percentage of female-led companies compared to non-female-led companies, suggesting gender imbalances within the international trade sector.
Secured debt gender analysis
AI Summary: Analysis of secured debt by gender reveals a 14.17% share for Female-led companies, 61.46% for Male-led companies, and 24.37% for Other. Trends show growth in Female-led companies and decline in Other, with Male-led companies maintaining a dominant position.
Percentage of active companies with secured debt
14.2%
Female-led
61.5%
Male-led
24.4%
Other
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