Statistics showing that Wales is punching above its weight when it comes to its number of private sector businesses have been welcomed by Economy Secretary, Ken Skates.
Latest UK Government figures on business population indicate that there are currently around 872 private sector businesses in Wales for every 10,000 people.
This means Wales has more businesses per person than Scotland , Northern Ireland or the North East of England and is quickly catching up with its neighbour, the West Midlands.
Ken Skates said:
“These latest figures on business population are hugely encouraging. They show that the number of businesses in Wales is thriving – and while we still we still have someway to go before we catch up with the South East of England, we are certainly moving in the right direction.
“As a pro-business Government we are committed to working with SMEs and supporting entrepreneurs to establish and grow businesses here in Wales.
“These figures show that programmes such as our Business Wales service are really making a difference in terms of providing the comprehensive support, advice and information that new entrepreneurs and existing SMEs, need to survive and thrive.”