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The average age of a UK founder has remained virtually static at 43 years old since 2020, according to a study of over 9.2 million director appointments.
The analysis by 1st Formations showed that the average age in 2000–2009 was 42, rising to 44 in 2010–2019. From 2011 until 2023, it held steady at 44, before slipping to 43 in 2024 and 2025, the first decline in over a decade.
While the Companies Act 2006 sets the minimum age for company directors at 16, the study said the data showed “significant longevity in British entrepreneurship“. Over the past two decades, the average oldest founder was 91 years old, which the report said “indicates the entrepreneurial spirit spans seven decades”.
Other “remarkable outliers” included a director appointment at 110 years old in 2012.
Graeme Donnelly, founder and CEO at 1st Formations, said:
“When analysing over nine million data points, the noise of ‘trends’ disappears and the reality emerges. British business thrives on experience. Today, the average age to start a business matches that of the millennium’s start.
“While younger generations enter the business world and veterans continue to grow, the ‘heavy lifting’ of the economy is done by the 43 Club. These are professionals who have spent decades honing their craft before taking the leap.”
