UK Business Succession Index

Business succession in North West

110,495 companies in North West — 31.2% — have a director aged 60 or over.

1.3 points below the UK average of 32.5%.

Companies measured354,479
Director aged 60+110,495
Exposure rate31.2%
Companies House register·Measured base 3,475,770·Data as at 13 August 2026·Full methodology
354,479
Companies measured
110,495
With a director 60+
31.2%
Exposure rate
37,586
With a director 70+

Of the 110,495 with a director over 60, 6,564 score 50 or higher on business quality — an output of our own scoring model, not a Companies House figure. How we score it.

By trade in North West

TradeCompanies60+Rate
Consultancy Services20,8147,20934.6%
Lettings20,9507,20734.4%
Retail22,9594,79920.9%
Investment14,4133,73425.9%
Other Leisure12,7963,55327.8%
Investment / Fund Management9,1323,28736%
Engineering Services8,2293,00336.5%
Property Development6,3382,41838.2%
IT Services / Consultancy10,9742,24420.4%
Specialist Clinics / Allied Health9,2422,03422%
Management5,6341,97935.1%
Other Specialist Trades6,0911,79429.5%
General Construction5,5071,72331.3%
Accounting / Audit4,4841,56134.8%
Agriculture2,9441,44148.9%
Hotel / Accommodation3,5621,40739.5%
Restaurant / Cafe7,6171,33717.6%
Media4,9201,20624.5%
Vehicle Repair & MOT3,9191,15029.3%
Road Freight3,97199725.1%
Care Home / Nursing3,02094831.4%
Pub / Bar2,89894532.6%
Electrical Installation4,10488221.5%
Wholesale Agent2,41284735.1%
Architecture / Design3,26983425.5%
Medical Practice / GP Surgery3,96183121%
Education / Training (General)2,69083030.9%
Software / SaaS3,91480120.5%
Household Goods Wholesale2,51979931.7%
Vocational & Professional Training2,66878729.5%
Financial Advisory / Wealth2,20178235.5%
Plumbing, Heating & HVAC3,49675221.5%
Energy2,19072333%
Civil Engineering2,39270429.4%
Marketing3,78969718.4%
Legal Services2,18066630.6%
Commercial Cleaning2,86264622.6%
Motor Vehicle Dealers2,74563923.3%
Joinery & Carpentry2,58662824.3%
Non-Specialised Wholesale1,94661431.6%
Recruitment / Staffing3,71561316.5%
Beauty / Salon / Spa4,57456912.4%
Data / Cloud / Hosting2,46256322.9%
Catering / Events2,43854622.4%
Precision Engineering / Machining1,02853652.1%
Electronics / Electrical92951455.3%
Passenger Transport1,49850733.8%
Estate Agent1,92150526.3%
Fitness / Sports2,18950022.8%
Specialised Wholesale (Building Materials, Chemicals, Fuel, Metals)1,03845043.4%
Food, Beverage & Tobacco Wholesale1,34343732.5%
Security Services1,62842926.4%
Plastics & Rubber Products68738355.7%
Landscaping & Grounds Maintenance1,61637523.2%
Tutoring & Educational Support1,40036125.8%
Waste Management & Recycling93835738.1%
Arts / Entertainment1,36934725.3%
Chemicals & Coatings69234750.1%
Freight Forwarding & Support1,14734630.2%
Metal Fabrication / Structures80334042.3%
Telecommunications1,19033928.5%
Equipment & Plant Hire87333838.7%
Childcare / Day Nurseries1,09633130.2%
Motor Parts96232433.7%
Travel / Tourism1,13932128.2%
Home Care / Domiciliary88230734.8%
Sports Clubs & Recreation43030069.8%
Roofing1,32229522.3%
Dental Practice2,00128414.2%
Flooring & Tiling89327130.3%
Painting & Decorating87827030.8%
Machinery & Equipment Wholesale54626147.8%
Early Years / Pre-Primary63720131.6%
Pharmaceuticals / Biotech76320026.2%
Wood & Timber Products47519841.7%
Print, Signage & Graphics46319642.3%
Insurance38618547.9%
Warehousing & Storage44018441.8%
Glazing & Windows49318136.7%
Bakery / Confectionery63918028.2%
Food & Beverage Manufacturing48317235.6%
Funeral Services29316154.9%
Facilities Management49815430.9%
Demolition & Site Prep42515336%
Vehicle Hire / Rental59014925.3%
Pharmacy65712318.7%
Veterinary Practice86912314.2%
Postal & Courier72212116.8%
Events45211325%
Meat Processing / Butchery26411041.7%
Scaffolding48110922.7%
ICT Equipment Wholesale51510720.8%
Brewery / Drinks Manufacturing2669836.8%
Driving Schools2818229.2%
Plastering & Drylining5788114%
Photography2936221.2%
Masonry & Stonework2725620.6%

Combinations with fewer than 250 measured companies are not listed separately. They are still counted in every total on this page.

Compare with the national index or another region.

Cite this page

These figures are free to quote and reproduce, including in commercial work, with attribution to ExitRadar and a link to this page.

ExitRadar, "Business succession in North West", UK Business Succession Index, 13 August 2026. https://www.exitradar.co.uk/succession/north-west/

Need a cut that is not published here — a different trade grouping, a finer geography, or the underlying distribution? Get in touch and we will usually provide it. Methodology.

Method. Figures cover the 3,475,770 active UK companies where Companies House records an age bracket for at least one serving director — 93.8% of the 3,706,712 companies on the active register. A company counts as succession-exposed when its oldest serving director is 60 or over — not the board average, which would hide a 70-year-old founder sitting alongside younger co-directors. The business-quality figure covers only the subset our model assesses — see the methodology for why that is far smaller than the number with filed accounts. Data as at 13 August 2026; updated quarterly, next update October 2026. Full methodology.