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Nursery or childcare companies in London

1,427 nursery or childcare companies have a registered office in London, and 516 of them were formed in 2025 or 2026. In their latest accounts, the typical one held £18,711 in cash and owed £16,106 at year end.

Companies House register, 1 September 2026, and accounts filed in the last twelve months. Compared with the official category “Child day-care activities” (SIC 88910).

The numbers

Nursery or childcare companies in London compared with the same category across the UK. Typical figures are medians.
MeasureLondonUK
Registered companies1,4278,379
Formed in 2025 or 2026516 (36%)25%
Being struck off or in liquidation88 (6.2%)5.7%
Typical cash at year end£18,711268 accounts£41,233
Typical amount owed at year end£16,106637 accounts£30,223
Typical number of employees3663 accounts6

What this means if you’re starting one

Most of your competition will be other newcomers

36% of the 1,427 nursery or childcare companies in London were formed in 2025–26, against 28% of all companies in London.

New rivals are arriving faster than in most trades, so your customers already have fresh options. Being new is not a difference on its own.

Planning a business like this in London?

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What these figures can’t tell you

Companies are counted where their registered office is, which may be an accountant or a home address rather than a shop. Sole traders and partnerships are not on the register, and electronically filed accounts cover roughly 60–75% of accounts filed each year. The figures describe companies that exist; they cannot prove demand for your idea or predict whether it will work. How the figures are built.

Nursery or childcare in other places

Other businesses in London

All business benchmarks in London