Private Investment in the United Kingdom increased to 3.90 percent in the first quarter of 2025 from -1.90 percent in the fourth quarter of 2024. This dataset provides - United Kingdom Business Investment- actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

The total value of private equity investments in portfolio companies in the United Kingdom (UK) came to 30.96 billion British pounds in 2023. The majority of investments during that year were focused in buyouts, which include the acquisition of companies by purchasing majority or controlling stakes. These transactions are financed through a mixture of equity and debt.

Key information about United Kingdom Investment: % of GDP

• United Kingdom Investment accounted for 18.2 % of its Nominal GDP in Sep 2024, compared with a ratio of 18.3 % in the previous quarter.
• UK investment share of Nominal GDP data is updated quarterly, available from Mar 1955 to Sep 2024, with an average ratio of 18.8 %.
• The data reached an all-time high of 26.2 % in Mar 1989 and a record low of 12.9 % in Jun 2020.

CEIC calculates Investment as % of Nominal GDP from quarterly Nominal Gross Capital Formation and quarterly Nominal GDP. Gross Capital Formation is calculated as the sum of Gross Fixed Capital Formation, Changes in Inventories and Acquisition less Disposals of Valuables. Office for National Statistics provides Nominal Gross Capital Formation in local currency and Nominal GDP in local currency.


Related information about United Kingdom Investment: % of GDP

• In the latest reports, UK GDP expanded 0.2 % YoY in Mar 2023.
• UK Nominal GDP reached 786.4 USD bn in Mar 2023.
• Its GDP deflator (implicit price deflator) increased 6.6 % in Dec 2022.
• UK GDP Per Capita reached 45,308.8 USD in Dec 2022.
• Its Gross Savings Rate was measured at 16.4 % in Sep 2024.

Detailed breakdown of business investment by industry and asset, in current prices, chained volume measures, non-seasonally adjusted and seasonally adjusted.

United Kingdom GG: Net Investment: Capital Grants from Private Sector data was reported at 697.000 GBP mn in Mar 2018. This records an increase from the previous number of 606.000 GBP mn for Dec 2017. United Kingdom GG: Net Investment: Capital Grants from Private Sector data is updated quarterly, averaging 39.000 GBP mn from Mar 1946 (Median) to Mar 2018, with 289 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 6,479.000 GBP mn in Dec 2008 and a record low of 0.000 GBP mn in Dec 1975. United Kingdom GG: Net Investment: Capital Grants from Private Sector data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Office for National Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s UK – Table UK.F007: ESA 2010: Public Sector Finances: Transactions: General Government.

Private investment in the United Kingdom's rail industry reached an annual sum of just over one billion British pounds in 2018/2019, down from almost 1.3 billion British pounds in 2017/2018. Prior to this record investment sum, investment volumes had oscillated substantially below one billion British pounds.

In 2023, the majority of private equity investments in the United Kingdom (UK) involved companies in the ICT sector (communications, computer and electronics), which accounted for 26.3 percent of the total. Other popular sector for private equity investments in the UK were business products and services, consumer good and services, and biotech and healthcare sectors.

Comprehensive dataset of 396 Private equity firms in United Kingdom as of July, 2025. Includes verified contact information (email, phone), geocoded addresses, customer ratings, reviews, business categories, and operational details. Perfect for market research, lead generation, competitive analysis, and business intelligence. Download a complimentary sample to evaluate data quality and completeness.

Number of Businesses statistics on the Private Equity industry in United Kingdom

Employment statistics on the Private Equity industry in United Kingdom

In the third quarter of 2024, the business investment index in the United Kingdom was 111, compared with 109 in the previous quarter, indicating that business investment has increased.

The UK is the largest European centre for the management of private equity (PE) investments and funds, second only to the US in terms of global importance. PE firms pool investment funds or use leverage to purchase other companies. Their goal is to improve a company's performance by introducing managerial and operational changes, before selling the company for a profit. More CEOs are wanting to retain control of their companies, increasing the number of minority stake buyouts. PE firms profit from management fees, calculated as a percentage of AUM, and performance fees on the total return from the invested company's IPO or sale to another company. Revenue is expected to grow at a compound annual rate of 6.6% to £4.6 billion over the five years through 2024-25, including growth of 4.9% in 2024-25. Following a short-lived halt in PE dealmaking at the start of 2020 following the COVID-19 outbreak, PE buyouts skyrocketed in 2021-22 due to higher levels of dry powder and low interest rates. Despite strong fundraising in 2022-23 as investors sought higher yields, PE activity slowed amid rising interest rates and a gloomy economic outlook, hitting deal volumes. Conditions only worsened in 2023-24 as the higher base rate environment, spiralling inflation and geopolitical tensions incited significant fundraising challenges and clobbered investment activity, hurting revenue. The macroeconomic environment is set to improve in 2024-25, driven by the prospect of further rate cuts and investors upgrading growth prospects, lifting deal activity. Revenue is forecast to grow at a compound annual rate of 7.2% to £6.5 billion over the five years through 2029-30. In the coming years, private equity firms will focus more on optimising operational performance and driving inorganic growth amid the high base rate environment and inflation, a sharp contrast to the expansion-driven growth experienced over the past decade. ESG will also be on their agenda, realising that significant value can be achieved from the investment strategy. Brexit has proven detrimental to domestic PE firms, but this could change depending on how effective the government's regulatory divergence is. Growing competition from alternative investment vehicles will also hurt revenue growth.

In 2023, the number of companies in the United Kingdom (UK) that received private equity amounted to 1,796. Moreover, over 1,000 companies to receive a form of private equity in 2023 was through venture capital investments.

United Kingdom BoP: FA: Assets: PI: DS: ST: Private Non Financial Corporations data was reported at -15,524.000 GBP mn in Mar 2018. This records a decrease from the previous number of -2,358.000 GBP mn for Dec 2017. United Kingdom BoP: FA: Assets: PI: DS: ST: Private Non Financial Corporations data is updated quarterly, averaging -22.000 GBP mn from Mar 1980 (Median) to Mar 2018, with 153 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 5,581.000 GBP mn in Sep 2007 and a record low of -15,524.000 GBP mn in Mar 2018. United Kingdom BoP: FA: Assets: PI: DS: ST: Private Non Financial Corporations data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Office for National Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s UK – Table UK.JB010: BPM6: Balance of Payments: Financial Account: Portfolio Investment.

In 2018, the number private equity (PE) investment funds through venture capital in the United Kingdom (UK) amounted to ***. In 2018, more than *** thousand companies received private equity investment in the UK.

United Kingdom LG: Net Investment: Capital Grants to Private Sector data was reported at 853.000 GBP mn in Jun 2018. This records an increase from the previous number of 756.000 GBP mn for Mar 2018. United Kingdom LG: Net Investment: Capital Grants to Private Sector data is updated quarterly, averaging 84.500 GBP mn from Mar 1946 (Median) to Jun 2018, with 290 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1,057.000 GBP mn in Mar 2008 and a record low of 0.000 GBP mn in Sep 1961. United Kingdom LG: Net Investment: Capital Grants to Private Sector data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Office for National Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United Kingdom – Table UK.F009: ESA 2010: Public Sector Finances: Transactions: Local Government.

The statistic illustrates the total amount of investments of the private equity companies based in the United Kingdom (UK) from 2007 to 2016. Private equity is the OTC provision of equity capital through private or institutional investments with the participation of companies in another company for a limited time in order to generate financial benefits. It can be seen that total private equity investments fluctuated overall during the period under observation, reaching a value of over 15.2 billion euros as of 2016. The largest total value of private equity investments was found in 2007, when total private equity investment of more than 35 billion euros was recorded.

Sector and asset breakdowns of gross fixed capital formation (GFCF), including business investment and revisions.

United Kingdom PC: Assets: Flow: Equity & Investment Fund Shares (EI) data was reported at 5,050.000 GBP mn in Jun 2018. This records a decrease from the previous number of 20,610.000 GBP mn for Mar 2018. United Kingdom PC: Assets: Flow: Equity & Investment Fund Shares (EI) data is updated quarterly, averaging 10,782.000 GBP mn from Mar 1987 (Median) to Jun 2018, with 126 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 127,671.000 GBP mn in Mar 2000 and a record low of -72,952.000 GBP mn in Mar 2014. United Kingdom PC: Assets: Flow: Equity & Investment Fund Shares (EI) data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Office for National Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United Kingdom – Table UK.AB007: ESA10: Funds by Sector: Private Non Financial Corporations: Flow.

This statistic illustrates the total amount of investments by private equity firms in the United Kingdom (UK) from 2014 to 2016, broken down by business sector. Private equity is the OTC provision of equity capital through private or institutional investments with the participation of companies in another company for a limited time in order to generate financial benefits. It can be seen that private equity investments in consumer goods and services reached a value of more than four billion euros in 2016.