The Small Business Service (SBS), an executive agency of the Department of Trade and Industry, has published Small and Medium-sized Enterprise (SME) Statistics for the UK 2003.

There were an estimated 4.0 million business enterprises in the UK at the start of 2003. This compares with an estimated 3.8 million business enterprises in the UK at the start of 2002. This estimate comprises the private sector (including public corporations and nationalised bodies) and therefore excludes Government and non-profit organisations.

Almost all of these enterprises (99.2%) were small (0 to 49 employees). Only 26,000 (0.6%) were medium-sized (50 to 249 employees) and 6,000 (0.2%) were large (250 or more employees).

At the start of 2003, UK business enterprises employed an estimated 21.7 million people, and had an estimated combined annual turnover of £2,200 billion.

SMEs together accounted for more than half of the employment (58.2%) and turnover (52.4%) in the UK.

Small enterprises alone (0 to 49 employees) accounted for 46.2% of employment and 38.3% of turnover.

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Sources:
www.gnn.gov.uk/Content/Detail.asp?ReleaseID=127718