Who Really Owns UK Companies? A Look at Foreign and Corporate Ownership

Since 2016, UK companies have been required to declare their Persons with Significant Control (PSC) — the individuals or entities that ultimately own or control the company. Using the latest PSC bulk data from Companies House, we analysed ownership patterns across 2.6 million active UK companies.

What Is a Person with Significant Control?

A PSC is anyone who holds more than 25% of a company's shares, more than 25% of voting rights, or has the right to appoint or remove a majority of the board. Companies must also declare PSCs that are corporate entities — meaning another company holds significant control.

This data is publicly available from Companies House and provides unprecedented transparency into who actually controls UK businesses.

Key Findings

Foreign Ownership

While the majority of UK companies are controlled by British nationals, a significant minority have PSCs resident outside the UK. This is particularly pronounced in London, where industries like property, IT consulting, and e-commerce have notable levels of international ownership.

The most common non-British PSC nationalities include Indian, Chinese, Pakistani, Irish, Nigerian, and American — reflecting the UK's position as a global business hub.

On UK Business Finder, you can filter any industry/region page by "Foreign-controlled" to see companies with PSCs resident outside the UK. This is useful for market analysis, compliance research, and understanding the makeup of different business sectors.

Corporate Ownership

Some companies are controlled not by individuals but by other corporate entities. This is common in sectors like property, financial services, and retail — where holding company structures are the norm. Our data flags these as "Corporate-owned" and you can filter for them on any browse page.

Explore Ownership Data

All PSC ownership data is available for free on every company listing page. Use the "Foreign-controlled" and "Corporate-owned" quick filters on any industry/region page to explore ownership patterns in your sector.