What does female entrepreneurship look like in 2025?

There are now estimated to be approximately 1.58 million self-employed women in the country, meanwhile, female-led companies contribute an average of £11.2 million each to the economy every year.

We’ve analysed data around female-led companies, the gender investment gap, and more to reveal the state of women’s entrepreneurship in the UK in 2025, as well as tips on securing funding, including business loans, to support aspiring female entrepreneurs.  

Key statistics about women’s entrepreneurship in the UK

• In 2014, an average of 1.44 million women were self-employed. By 2024, this figure had grown to 1.56 million - an 8% rise. This is compared to a decrease of around 12% for self-employed men in the same period (3.12 million in 2014 to 2.74 million in 2024).

• Kensington and Chelsea, in London, has the highest percentage of self-employed women at 33.7%, followed by Torridge, Devon, and the Orkney Islands, Scotland, at 31% each. 

• Health, wellbeing, and social care remains the sector with the most female-led companies, with almost two-fifths (39.9%) having a dominance of female directors.

• Female-led companies tend to outperform their male-led counterparts, with average revenues of £10.4 million compared to almost £6.1 million for male-led companies.

• Wyre Forest, in Worcestershire, has the highest percentage of female-led companies at 35.4%, followed by Wychavon, Worcestershire, at 33.7% and Erewash, Derbyshire, at 29.9%.

How has the number of self-employed women in the UK changed?

In 2010, there were around 1.17 million self-employed women in the UK. Following year-on-year increases since 2001, this number continued to rise for the next decade, reaching 1.66 million in 2019.

In 2020, this figure dropped slightly to 1.61 million, and again to 1.51 million in 2021. This is likely due to the significant effect that the COVID-19 pandemic had on the UK economy, with many people being forced to change from self-employment to employment.

Since then, the number rose again, reaching 1.59 million in 2023, before dipping to 1.56 million in 2024, likely due to the challenging economic landscape of the last year. However, this figure - amounting to close to 10% of all female workers - marks an 11.9% increase in self-employed women in the last decade. 

How many women are working part-time compared to men?

Despite positive movement in the number of women going self-employed, the figures on part-time work reflect the challenges that many female entrepreneurs continue to face.

ONS data shows that of the 14.1 million women currently employed in the UK, 5.5 million work part-time - accounting for almost two-fifths (39%) of the female workforce. This share of part-time workers is considerably higher than that of their male counterparts, at 2.1 million part-timers out of 13.8 million workers (15.1%) - less than half that of female workers. 

The stark difference in these figures could be influenced by many women working fewer hours due to bearing more childcare responsibilities. Research shows that many women are expected to be the primary caregivers for children, even when both parents work. 

A recent study found that in one in four (26%) parental households, a mother reduces her working hours due to childcare, compared to just one in 12 (8%) fathers. Childcare issues can be even more challenging for single mothers, with part-time work often being a solution to balance work and family life.

Which regions of the UK have the most self-employed women?

1. London

London tops the list as the UK region with the most self-employed women, totalling 13.2% of all women working in the region. London’s beauty scene, in particular, offers great potential to self-employed workers; not only is the capital city renowned as a global beauty hub - with a recent study finding that it has the highest number of beauty salons of any European city - but our research also shows this sector ranks within the top five industries for self-employed women nationally.

2. South West 

The South West places second, with 12.5% of women in work in the region being self-employed. Some of the key industries in the region include renewable energy, agriculture and food production, tourism, creative arts, and aerospace.

3. South East 

Despite remaining in third place for the second year in a row, the percentage of self-employed women in the South East has increased by 0.3%, going from 11.3% to 11.6%. The region has a diverse range of industries, including finance, life sciences, construction, and technology.

Which UK local authorities have the most self-employed women?

1. Kensington and Chelsea

Kensington and Chelsea is the local authority with the most self-employed women in the UK, at over a third (33.7%). Despite being the smallest London borough, the local authority is home to multiple affluent areas, including Notting Hill, South Kensington, and Knightsbridge. Many wealthy individuals live here, and the area is also home to a diverse retail and hospitality scene.

2. Torridge 

Torridge has the second-highest percentage of self-employed women in England and Wales, at 31%. Located in northwest Devon, Torridge has numerous villages and surrounding rural areas. The predominantly rural district is a great location for self-employed women in the farming, tourism, and hospitality industries. 

The local council is also making a conscious effort to promote and support business growth. In 2023, almost £18,000 was distributed across 24 local businesses in the town centre, so they could improve the structure or decoration of their premises.

3. Orkney Islands  Also placing second are the Orkney Islands, located on the northeastern coast of Scotland (31%). Like Torridge, the Orkney Islands offer good opportunities for self-employed women in the tourism and hospitality industries. The area also has a thriving crafts sector, including upholstery, fine art, and pottery. Occupations related to the artistic and textiles trades ranked among the top industries for self-employed women nationally, according to our research.

Which industries have the most self-employed women?

Building finishing trades - 83.6% of self-employed women

Building finishing trades, including tile installers, glaziers, and painters, ranks top compared to other sectors for the number of self-employed in the field. There are 5,100 self-employed women compare to 1,000 employed by companies, equaling for over four-fifths (83.6%) of the trade’s total workforce. 

Artistic, literary, and media occupations - 63.0% of self-employed women

There are approximately 195,800 women working in the artistic, literary, and media industry in the UK, and almost two-thirds (63.0%) of these women are self-employed. Of the total female workforce in this industry, 123,300 are self-employed, and 72,500 are employed.

Hairdressers and related services - 62.8% of self-employed women Hairdressing remains a fairly popular trade for self-employed women in the UK. Around 187,700 women currently work in the industry, with 117,900 of these being self-employed. This is equal to almost two-thirds (62.8%) of the total female workforce.

Which jobs have the most self-employed women?

Taxi and cab drivers and chauffeurs - 90% self-employed women Around 6,000 women in the UK work as taxi and cab drivers or chauffeurs and just 600 of these individuals work under an employer. This means that approximately 5,400 female taxi drivers are self-employed - equating to nine in 10 (90%) women in this field. Despite this occupation having the second-highest percentage of self-employed women in the UK, it is still heavily dominated by male drivers. Around 147,700 men in the UK work in this profession, with 131,800 (89.2%) of them being self-employed.

Shopkeepers and owners (retail and wholesale) - 88.3% self-employed women Shopkeepers and owners follow closely behind, with 88.3% of women in this occupation being self-employed. Women in this group include shopkeepers or owners in retail positions who sell directly to individual consumers and those selling wholesale goods to other businesses in bulk. In the UK, there are around 37,600 female shopkeepers and owners, approximately 33,200 of which are self-employed.

Complementary health associate professionals - 83.9% self-employed women

A high proportion of female complementary health associate professionals are also self-employed. This occupation involves providing non-traditional treatments to support conventional medical care, such as acupuncture, massage, and Reiki. There are approximately 18,600 women in this field in the UK, and over four-fifths (15,600) of them are self-employed.

Which jobs have the most self-employed women?

Health, wellbeing and social care - 39.9% female-led companies

Health, wellbeing and social care is the most popular sector for female-led businesses. There are 225,842 businesses of this nature in the UK, almost two in five (39.9%) of which are led by women. These figures show a strong female presence in the industry, particularly in leadership roles. 

There are many potential reasons for this, one of which is that women tend to be more motivated by work that has a positive societal impact. Studies show that a third (33%) of women place greater value on meaningful work compared to around a quarter (27%) of men. This suggests that they may be more inclined to choose a career path that involves helping and caring for others.

Education - 36.1% female-led companies

The education sector has the second-highest share of female-led businesses in the UK, at over a third (36.1%). The UK has close to 103,300 education-related companies, 37,276 of which are led by women. Similarly to health, wellbeing, and social care, education is another female-dominated industry, with statistics showing that 74% of teachers in maintained schools across the UK are female.

Education roles offer numerous benefits to female entrepreneurs. For example, structured term-time working hours may benefit women with young children by alleviating childcare pressures. Gender equality has also become a big focus within the education sector in recent years, offering a relatively level playing field regarding pay and opportunities due to nationally set pay scales and clear routes for progression.

Arts, entertainment, and recreation - 24.2% female-led companies

The arts, entertainment, and recreation industry also has a significant proportion of female-led companies. There are over 124,830 businesses of this nature across the UK, with nearly a quarter (24.2%) of them being led by women. 

Despite historic gender inequality in this sector, including widespread criticism of male-dominated music festival line-ups in recent years, efforts have been made to support and showcase female creative talent.

For example, since being founded over 20 years ago, the feminist theatre company, Scary Little Girls, has helped over 4,000 women continue their careers in the creative arts industry. They create both paid and voluntary opportunities and have performed at Glastonbury Festival.

How do female-led companies compare to those led by men?

A business is deemed ‘fast-growing’ if it sees a rapid increase in revenue, earnings, or market share in a relatively short period. Rapidly expanding growth can make a business appear more attractive to investors, local councils, and governments.

There are currently estimated to be over 15,130 fast-growing companies led by men in the UK, which equates to 0.29% of the total number of male-led companies. 

There are significantly fewer female-led companies that are considered to be fast-growing in the UK. Of all female-led businesses, only 2,407 fall into the fast-growth category - representing just 0.05%.

This lack of growth may be due to male-led companies typically receiving more investment and opportunities than women-led companies. For example, a recent study showed that, on average, female-founded businesses received £1.05 million in funding in 2024, compared to £6.2 million for a solely male-owned organisation.

Despite this, female-led companies tend to have higher revenues compared to those led by men. On average, women-led companies make around £10.4 million annually in revenue, whereas male-led companies make approximately £6.1 million.

What are the most common investment types in female-led companies compared to those led by men?

Female-led companies in the UK are most commonly supported through angel investors. These investors provide financial support to a startup business in exchange for equity or debt. Over 50,580 UK companies were funded by angel investors in 2024, with 43,500 (86.0%) being male-led and 2,757 (5.5%) female-led. A further 0.4% were mixed-led companies, and the leadership of 8.1% of angel-invested companies was unknown.

Last year, 435 UK businesses were financed through private equity. This type of investment is commonly used as a catalyst for substantial business growth in established companies. Approximately 391 of the 435 private equity-funded companies were led by men, which is almost 90% of the total (435). However, only three in every 100 (3.2%) female-led companies received private equity investment.

A similar percentage of female-led businesses receive company or venture capital investment at 5.0% and 4.9%, respectively. This is considerably less than that of their male counterparts, with 85.3% of male-led companies financed through company investment and 84.5% through venture capital funding.

These statistics suggest that females are much more likely to be forced to give away equity to be able to launch their business than men. While angel investors can be a valuable source of funding, they can potentially have disadvantages, such as loss of control, higher expectations, and conflicting ideas.

How can female entrepreneurs start their own business?

Female entrepreneurs have significantly impacted the UK economy, as seen in the impressive revenue generated by female-led companies. However, it’s no secret that being a woman in business can come with barriers, whether it’s struggling to access capital, a lack of mentorship and networking opportunities, gender stereotypes, or work-life balance challenges.

Despite this, the rising number of self-employed women over the years shows the perseverance of female trailblazers to overcome these barriers and make their mark in the entrepreneurial landscape. But to enable female entrepreneurs to flourish further, progress still needs to be made regarding equal opportunities. 

Business leaders can contribute to this by creating more mentorship and networking opportunities for female entrepreneurs, where women in business can share their knowledge and experiences to further their development. Financial service providers must also ensure they create equal access to funding opportunities through grants, loans, or investment capital. 

By creating equal opportunities like these, as well as highlighting female role models in the workplace, businesses can foster a more inclusive environment and pave the way for more female entrepreneurs to reach their full potential.