Ireland business report · published 13 September 2026
15,099 new companies were registered in January–June 2026 — +13.2% on January–June 2025. Built from the full Companies Registration Office register.
15,099
new companies, January–June 2026
+13.2% year on year
7,616
in April–June alone
+11.3% on the same quarter of 2025
2,891
in June 2026
the busiest month since at least 2024
Ireland registered 15,099 new companies in January–June 2026, up 13.2% from 13,333 in January–June 2025 and 23% ahead of the same period in 2024. 2025 was itself the busiest year for new companies since the CRO began tracking the trend in 2016.
Outside Dublin, Westmeath had the most new companies per head of population (30.0 per 10,000 people), followed by Louth (27.6) and Meath (26.4). Wicklow grew fastest (+31.0%), while 7 counties registered fewer companies than a year earlier, led by Leitrim (-16.2%).
By sector, software and IT services recorded 1,170 new companies, +60.5% on last year. New restaurants, cafés and bars fell 5.7%, and new farming companies fell 23.0%.
Sorted by new companies per 10,000 people. Population: CSO Census 2022.
| County | 2026 | 2025 | Change | Per 10,000 people |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dublin | 6,581 | 5,674 | +16.0% | 45.1 |
| Westmeath | 289 | 276 | +4.7% | 30.0 |
| Louth | 385 | 316 | +21.8% | 27.6 |
| Meath | 584 | 521 | +12.1% | 26.4 |
| Wicklow | 410 | 313 | +31.0% | 26.3 |
| Kildare | 649 | 558 | +16.3% | 26.2 |
| Limerick | 542 | 442 | +22.6% | 25.9 |
| Cork | 1,481 | 1,296 | +14.3% | 25.4 |
| Clare | 318 | 323 | -1.5% | 24.9 |
| Galway | 682 | 565 | +20.7% | 24.6 |
| Offaly | 187 | 161 | +16.1% | 22.5 |
| Laois | 205 | 181 | +13.3% | 22.3 |
| Donegal | 350 | 315 | +11.1% | 20.9 |
| Kilkenny | 216 | 170 | +27.1% | 20.7 |
| Kerry | 315 | 301 | +4.7% | 20.1 |
| Wexford | 330 | 300 | +10.0% | 20.1 |
| Waterford | 254 | 233 | +9.0% | 19.9 |
| Tipperary | 328 | 336 | -2.4% | 19.5 |
| Monaghan | 127 | 145 | -12.4% | 19.5 |
| Cavan | 150 | 172 | -12.8% | 18.4 |
| Longford | 84 | 78 | +7.7% | 18.0 |
| Leitrim | 62 | 74 | -16.2% | 17.6 |
| Carlow | 108 | 119 | -9.2% | 17.4 |
| Mayo | 230 | 244 | -5.7% | 16.7 |
| Sligo | 116 | 104 | +11.5% | 16.5 |
| Roscommon | 112 | 112 | 0.0% | 15.9 |
Dublin's figure is inflated by companies using a Dublin accountant or formation agent as their registered office, so it is not directly comparable with other counties.
| Sector (NACE division) | 2026 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software & IT services 62 | 1,170 | 729 | +60.5% |
| Architecture & engineering 71 | 456 | 300 | +52.0% |
| Building construction 41 | 753 | 562 | +34.0% |
| Motor trade & repair 45 | 350 | 264 | +32.6% |
| Education 85 | 309 | 242 | +27.7% |
| Management consultancy & head offices 70 | 1,303 | 1,081 | +20.5% |
| Financial & holding companies 64 | 1,887 | 1,645 | +14.7% |
| Specialised construction trades 43 | 955 | 835 | +14.4% |
| Restaurants, cafés & bars 56 | 659 | 699 | -5.7% |
| Farming 01 | 331 | 430 | -23.0% |
Counts every company on the Companies Registration Office open-data register with a registration date in each period, whatever its current status, as of 11 September 2026. Our 2025 monthly totals add up to 26,533, exactly the figure in the CRO Annual Report 2025.
County is taken from the registered office address (or its Eircode where the county is not written); 4 companies could not be placed. Registered office is not always where a company trades. Population figures are from CSO Census 2022, table FY003B.
Registrations coded to office administration (NACE 82) roughly halved from October 2025 in a single step, which looks like a change in how activities are coded rather than a real fall, so it is left out.
Free to reuse with credit to LocallyIrish.ie, under CC BY 4.0. Contains CRO data (CC BY 4.0) and CSO data.