Inter Departmental Business Register

Details and background of the IDBR, which contains information on all businesses in the UK which are VAT registered or operating a PAYE scheme.

Businesses in Northern Ireland

The number of Value Added Tax (VAT) and/or Pay As You Earn (PAYE) registered businesses operating in Northern Ireland in 2018 is estimated to have risen by 2,445 (3.4%) since 2017 to 74,060. This marked the fourth consecutive year of increase following a period of decline from 2008 to 2014.
The largest increases in the number of businesses over the year were in the construction (535 businesses) and agriculture, forestry and fishing (440) industries.
All District Council areas in Northern Ireland saw an increase in the number of businesses. Newry, Mourne and Down saw the largest increase with 410 more businesses which amounts to an increase of 5.1%. Antrim and Newtownabbey saw the smallest growth (85).
The business birth rate in Northern Ireland continues to grow steadily but remains lower than birth rates in the other UK countries. The business death rate in Northern Ireland also increased over the year and remains lower than death rates in the other UK countries.
Of the 74,060 businesses operating in Northern Ireland in 2018, 2.4% were non-Northern Ireland owned. However, these businesses accounted for almost one quarter (24%) of employees.