Businesses that are innovation active by year

Standard shorthand is used in this table: [t] = total.

Data values	Data description	Area	Year
37 [t]	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	United Kingdom	2008-2010
44 [t]	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	United Kingdom	2010-2012
53 [t]	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	United Kingdom	2012-2014
49 [t]	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	United Kingdom	2014-2016
38 [t]	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	United Kingdom	2016-2018
45 [t]	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	United Kingdom	2018-2020
36 [t]	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	United Kingdom	2020-2022
37 [t]	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	England	2008-2010
45 [t]	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	England	2010-2012
54 [t]	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	England	2012-2014
50 [t]	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	England	2014-2016
38 [t]	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	England	2016-2018
46 [t]	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	England	2018-2020
37 [t]	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	England	2020-2022
40	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	North East	2008-2010
47	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	North East	2010-2012
53	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	North East	2012-2014
42	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	North East	2014-2016
34	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	North East	2016-2018
40	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	North East	2018-2020
39	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	North East	2020-2022
32	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	North West	2008-2010
42	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	North West	2010-2012
53	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	North West	2012-2014
49	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	North West	2014-2016
36	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	North West	2016-2018
45	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	North West	2018-2020
35	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	North West	2020-2022
36	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	Yorkshire and the Humber	2008-2010
43	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	Yorkshire and the Humber	2010-2012
65	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	Yorkshire and the Humber	2012-2014
49	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	Yorkshire and the Humber	2014-2016
39	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	Yorkshire and the Humber	2016-2018
48	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	Yorkshire and the Humber	2018-2020
35	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	Yorkshire and the Humber	2020-2022
39	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	East Midlands	2008-2010
49	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	East Midlands	2010-2012
56	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	East Midlands	2012-2014
52	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	East Midlands	2014-2016
37	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	East Midlands	2016-2018
47	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	East Midlands	2018-2020
35	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	East Midlands	2020-2022
38	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	West Midlands	2008-2010
43	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	West Midlands	2010-2012
55	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	West Midlands	2012-2014
52	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	West Midlands	2014-2016
39	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	West Midlands	2016-2018
49	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	West Midlands	2018-2020
35	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	West Midlands	2020-2022
41	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	East	2008-2010
46	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	East	2010-2012
56	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	East	2012-2014
52	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	East	2014-2016
39	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	East	2016-2018
51	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	East	2018-2020
39	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	East	2020-2022
33	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	London	2008-2010
42	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	London	2010-2012
48	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	London	2012-2014
47	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	London	2014-2016
38	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	London	2016-2018
42	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	London	2018-2020
37	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	London	2020-2022
41	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	South East	2008-2010
46	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	South East	2010-2012
57	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	South East	2012-2014
51	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	South East	2014-2016
40	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	South East	2016-2018
46	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	South East	2018-2020
40	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	South East	2020-2022
38	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	South West	2008-2010
47	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	South West	2010-2012
43	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	South West	2012-2014
53	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	South West	2014-2016
41	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	South West	2016-2018
47	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	South West	2018-2020
37	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	South West	2020-2022
41	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	Wales	2008-2010
47	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	Wales	2010-2012
51	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	Wales	2012-2014
47	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	Wales	2014-2016
34	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	Wales	2016-2018
44	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	Wales	2018-2020
31	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	Wales	2020-2022
33	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	Scotland	2008-2010
43	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	Scotland	2010-2012
50	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	Scotland	2012-2014
45	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	Scotland	2014-2016
32	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	Scotland	2016-2018
39	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	Scotland	2018-2020
32	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	Scotland	2020-2022
32	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	Northern Ireland	2008-2010
39	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	Northern Ireland	2010-2012
45	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	Northern Ireland	2012-2014
39	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	Northern Ireland	2014-2016
32	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	Northern Ireland	2016-2018
38	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	Northern Ireland	2018-2020
32	Percentage of Businesses That Are Innovation Active	Northern Ireland	2020-2022

Main information

• Most recent update: 25 September 2025
• Next update expected: May 2026
• Designation: Official statistics
• Data provider: Office for National Statistics (ONS)
• Data source: UK Innovation Survey (UKIS)

Data notes

Overview

• Summary of dataset and variables:

  This data shows the percentage of businesses that are innovation active. The UK definition of innovation is based on an Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) definition, outlined in the Oslo Manual 2018.

  Businesses are considered to be innovation active if they:

  • Introduced a new or significantly improved product (goods or service) or process;

  • Engaged in innovation projects not yet complete or abandoned;

  • Acquired new and significantly improved forms of organisation, business structures or practices and marketing concepts or strategies.

• Data collection or calculation:

  The UK Innovation Survey is funded by the Department for Business and Trade (DBT). The survey was conducted on behalf of DBT by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The survey was voluntary and conducted by means of both an electronic questionnaire and telephone interview for businesses that had not yet completed an electronic response. The sample is drawn from the ONS Inter-Departmental Business Register.

• Statistical quality:

  As the data come from a survey, the results are sample-based estimates and therefore subject to differing degrees of sampling variability, i.e. the true value for any measure lies in a differing range about the estimated value. This range or sampling variability increases as the detail in the data increases, for example individual local authority data are subject to higher variability than Wales data.

• Related reports:
  • UK Innovation Survey
  • Wellbeing Dashboard

Published by

• Organisation: Welsh Government
• Contact email: economic.stats@gov.wales

Metadata

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