THE Forest of Dean saw the steepest decline in business growth across the county since 2019 according to a new analysis.

The study by UK flexible workspace experts BizSpace analysed gov.uk data on business population estimates from the Department for Business and Trade.

The analysis compared figures from 2019 and 2025, calculating the percentage difference for every recorded area. This determined the ranking of the areas where business figures increased and declined the most.

The Forest of Dean experienced the steepest decline in the county, with the number of VAT/PAYE businesses in 2025 revealed to be 8.27 per cent lower than in 2019. In 2019, the Forest of Dean had 4,110 businesses, which reduced to 3,770 in 2025.

Aman Parmar, Head of Marketing at BizSpace, said: “For new businesses or aspiring entrepreneurs, our findings can provide valuable insights into the areas where they may be more likely to find longevity or benefit from a surge in local business infrastructure.

"While the overall decline in Gloucestershire may appear stark, the data revealed that the UK experienced a growth of just 0.60 per cent when comparing 2019 and 2025 figures. However, the Forest of Dean's 8.27 per cent decline is particularly striking when the county average sits at just 2.33 per cent."

Overall, the findings identified that the number of businesses in Gloucestershire declined by 2.33 per cent between 2019 and 2025.

According to the data, Tewkesbury experienced the largest increase in business numbers in Gloucestershire between 2019 and 2025. The number of businesses in the area increased from 4,290 to 4,425, representing a growth of 3.15 per cent.

In fact, the data showed only two districts in the county were identified to have increased in business numbers over the period, the second being Gloucester.