Business succession index

How this index is built

This is a single, disclosed indicator — not a weighted score. There is exactly one input per market (stated in the methodology under each table) and it is not combined with other signals. So there are no weights we could be hiding: what you read under the table is the whole calculation.

We store age BANDS only, never dates of birth. That is data minimisation under GDPR Art. 5(1)(c): the band answers "is a succession due here?", while the date of birth would go beyond it. The index is published only as per-industry aggregates; no individual company is ever given a succession indicator publicly.

The criteria are stated here because they are load-bearing rather than decorative: an evaluation is protected as opinion only when it is measured against DECLARED criteria (BGH VI ZR 120/10). Where a figure is uncertain we say so instead of smoothing it.

Cite and reuse — free

The aggregate figures on this page are available under CC BY 4.0. Press, researchers and competitors may reuse them freely, including commercially, as long as the source is named. The underlying registers keep their own licences (named under each table).

Citation format: Emptera, accessed [date], https://emptera.com/succession

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

Of 3,229,756 active, accounts-filing companies, about 20.8% of those with an owner age on file have a youngest owner aged 60 or over.

Industry	Code	Companies	Owner 60+	%
Insurance and pension funding	65	4,843	1,837	52.2%
Libraries, archives and museums	91	2,241	519	47.1%
Other mining and quarrying	08	1,203	412	45.8%
Extraction of petroleum and gas	06	1,096	258	44.9%
Machinery and equipment n.e.c.	28	6,710	2,473	44.7%
Rubber and plastic products	22	4,456	1,448	39.3%
Gambling and betting	92	840	246	39.2%
Electrical equipment	27	4,128	1,345	38.9%
Computer, electronic and optical products	26	5,587	1,840	38.8%
Water transport	50	2,621	728	36.9%
Fabricated metal products	25	16,235	5,222	35.9%
Basic metals	24	1,836	548	35.6%
Crop and animal production	01	25,901	8,298	35.1%
Air transport	51	2,079	616	34.7%
Pharmaceutical products	21	1,081	257	33.6%
Scientific research and development	72	7,594	1,966	31.8%
Other transport equipment	30	2,317	631	31.4%
Paper and paper products	17	1,871	492	31.4%
Other manufacturing	32	19,708	5,516	31.2%
Water collection and supply	36	1,112	286	31.1%
Membership organisations	94	15,610	2,633	30.8%
Mining support services	09	2,866	723	30.3%
Chemicals and chemical products	20	4,190	1,007	29.8%
Accommodation	55	31,946	7,933	29.6%
Fishing and aquaculture	03	3,040	795	29.4%
Auxiliary financial services	66	17,299	4,181	29%
Textiles	13	4,601	1,222	28.8%
Office administrative and support	82	141,463	35,454	28.5%
Head offices and management consultancy	70	184,798	48,494	28.1%
Legal and accounting activities	69	58,443	15,167	26.8%
Other professional and technical activities	74	104,435	25,013	26.3%
Other non-metallic mineral products	23	3,585	838	26.2%
Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning	35	12,550	1,751	26.1%
Printing and reproduction	18	9,162	2,241	26%
Leather and related products	15	879	211	25.5%
Repair and installation of machinery	33	23,203	5,590	25.2%
Forestry and logging	02	4,125	937	24.6%
Architecture and engineering	71	61,290	14,477	24.5%
Remediation activities	39	1,998	444	24.4%
Financial services	64	118,351	22,478	24.2%
Motor vehicles and trailers	29	3,256	693	23.9%
Residential care	87	18,764	3,728	23.8%
Wholesale trade	46	98,958	21,531	23.6%
Publishing	58	25,052	5,414	23.5%
Rental and leasing	77	14,744	3,137	23.5%
Programming and broadcasting	60	3,389	691	23.4%
Furniture	31	6,613	1,419	22.6%
Real estate activities	68	415,633	83,103	22.5%
Construction of buildings	41	145,842	29,056	22.4%
Telecommunications	61	11,342	2,221	22%
Warehousing and support	52	16,879	3,344	21.7%
Social work	88	19,593	3,377	21.7%
Travel agencies	79	12,246	2,481	21.6%
Sewerage	37	937	181	21.4%
Civil engineering	42	19,944	3,965	21.2%
Beverages	11	4,063	772	21%
Waste collection and treatment	38	6,949	1,282	20.8%
Creative, arts and entertainment	90	38,101	6,446	18.9%
Education	85	70,062	11,180	18.5%
Food products	10	13,854	2,328	18.5%
Repair of computers and personal goods	95	4,426	803	18.5%
Wearing apparel	14	4,800	847	18.4%
Wholesale and retail trade of motor vehicles	45	70,237	12,423	18.2%
Security and investigation	80	12,172	2,121	18%
Public administration and defence	84	5,748	938	17.6%
Wood and wood products	16	7,839	1,313	17.5%
Information services	63	19,360	3,065	17.5%
Sports and recreation	93	46,864	6,691	17.1%
Other personal service activities	96	132,656	21,022	16.8%
Specialised construction activities	43	211,614	33,783	16.4%
Veterinary activities	75	4,282	620	16.1%
Human health activities	86	122,080	18,439	16%
Motion picture and sound production	59	50,162	7,345	15.9%
Services to buildings and landscape	81	40,904	6,096	15.6%
Retail trade	47	216,951	31,028	14.9%
Land transport	49	58,890	8,275	14.6%
Computer programming and consultancy	62	170,592	23,501	14.5%
Employment activities	78	31,459	4,007	13.6%
Food and beverage service	56	122,749	14,996	12.8%
Advertising and market research	73	25,616	2,884	11.9%
Postal and courier activities	53	6,841	735	11%

Methodology

Share of ACTIVE, non-dormant companies that filed accounts within three years and whose YOUNGEST person with significant control is aged 60 or over. Percentages are of companies where an owner age is on file, not of all companies. Regions are assigned from the registered-office postcode area, which is not always where a company trades; areas that cross a regional border count towards the region most of them lies in.

Source: Companies House free company data + PSC snapshot (snapshot 2026-09-01), licensed under OGL v3.0. Only industries with at least 250 companies are shown.

We deliberately store only age bands, never the dates of birth themselves — a privacy choice with an analytical cost, stated here rather than buried. This page shows aggregates only; no individual company is ever shown publicly with a succession indicator.

Last computed: 2026-10-01. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

🇳🇴 Norway

Of 411,868 active companies, about 9.0% have been registered for 30 years or more.

Industry	Code	Companies	30 yrs+	%
Insurance and pension funding	65	99	45	45.5%
Water collection and supply	36	1,235	455	36.8%
Printing and reproduction	18	559	193	34.5%
Paper and paper products	17	61	18	29.5%
Other non-metallic mineral products	23	637	181	28.4%
Motor vehicles and trailers	29	183	52	28.4%
Rubber and plastic products	22	339	91	26.8%
Gambling and betting	92	135	33	24.4%
Membership organisations	94	541	120	22.2%
Wood and wood products	16	1,095	241	22%
Computer, electronic and optical products	26	351	77	21.9%
Other mining and quarrying	08	648	140	21.6%
Textiles	13	394	85	21.6%
Basic metals	24	155	33	21.3%
Machinery and equipment n.e.c.	28	996	209	21%
Warehousing and support	52	2,749	549	20%
Publishing	58	2,203	439	19.9%
Social work	88	1,064	210	19.7%
Furniture	31	600	116	19.3%
Extraction of petroleum and gas	06	107	20	18.7%
Electrical equipment	27	389	69	17.7%
Fabricated metal products	25	2,226	385	17.3%
Other transport equipment	30	464	77	16.6%
Leather and related products	15	56	9	16.1%
Food products	10	2,485	396	15.9%
Wholesale trade	46	21,349	3,375	15.8%
Crop and animal production	01	4,547	700	15.4%
Chemicals and chemical products	20	386	57	14.8%
Forestry and logging	02	1,635	237	14.5%
Other manufacturing	32	819	114	13.9%
Repair of computers and personal goods	95	4,552	627	13.8%
Waste collection and treatment	38	600	79	13.2%
Accommodation	55	3,421	451	13.2%
Legal and accounting activities	69	5,283	688	13%
Mining support services	09	963	122	12.7%
Retail trade	47	28,777	3,600	12.5%
Wearing apparel	14	351	43	12.3%
Water transport	50	2,466	292	11.8%
Libraries, archives and museums	91	169	20	11.8%
Civil engineering	42	1,451	167	11.5%
Sports and recreation	93	3,911	446	11.4%
Real estate activities	68	99,429	10,530	10.6%
Air transport	51	172	18	10.5%
Land transport	49	7,062	696	9.9%
Telecommunications	61	637	58	9.1%
Residential care	87	221	20	9%
Office administrative and support	82	2,878	253	8.8%
Specialised construction activities	43	25,790	2,039	7.9%
Education	85	8,519	672	7.9%
Public administration and defence	84	77	6	7.8%
Programming and broadcasting	60	859	65	7.6%
Sewerage	37	323	24	7.4%
Fishing and aquaculture	03	4,301	312	7.3%
Auxiliary financial services	66	782	57	7.3%
Repair and installation of machinery	33	3,384	234	6.9%
Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning	35	2,131	145	6.8%
Rental and leasing	77	5,032	334	6.6%
Security and investigation	80	362	24	6.6%
Other personal service activities	96	6,310	390	6.2%
Construction of buildings	41	13,597	798	5.9%
Beverages	11	403	23	5.7%
Advertising and market research	73	4,555	255	5.6%
Food and beverage service	56	10,657	576	5.4%
Architecture and engineering	71	19,430	1,032	5.3%
Services to buildings and landscape	81	4,927	261	5.3%
Motion picture and sound production	59	3,429	157	4.6%
Head offices and management consultancy	70	17,518	809	4.6%
Travel agencies	79	2,873	132	4.6%
Postal and courier activities	53	465	20	4.3%
Information services	63	1,144	49	4.3%
Scientific research and development	72	1,356	51	3.8%
Human health activities	86	11,476	408	3.6%
Financial services	64	15,094	516	3.4%
Other professional and technical activities	74	7,877	271	3.4%
Creative, arts and entertainment	90	4,834	150	3.1%
Veterinary activities	75	747	22	2.9%
Employment activities	78	4,004	100	2.5%
Computer programming and consultancy	62	18,762	445	2.4%

Methodology

Share of ACTIVE companies with a recorded industry code that have been registered for 30 years or more. A long unchanged registration is an indicator of an approaching handover, not a statement that any company is for sale. Divisions with fewer than 50 companies are omitted, as are divisions where fewer than 5 companies carry the signal.

Source: Brønnøysund Enhetsregisteret, whole register (snapshot 2026-10-15), licensed under NLOD. Only industries with at least 50 companies are shown.

Last computed: 2026-10-15.

🇧🇪 Belgium

Of 718,363 active companies, about 13.4% have been registered for 30 years or more.

Industry	Code	Companies	30 yrs+	%
Public administration and defence	84	1,992	1,390	69.8%
Other mining and quarrying	08	177	95	53.7%
Residential care	87	1,890	993	52.5%
Paper and paper products	17	261	136	52.1%
Basic metals	24	303	130	42.9%
Rubber and plastic products	22	748	314	42%
Membership organisations	94	9,394	3,874	41.2%
Libraries, archives and museums	91	759	304	40.1%
Textiles	13	901	352	39.1%
Other non-metallic mineral products	23	1,353	491	36.3%
Chemicals and chemical products	20	784	283	36.1%
Machinery and equipment n.e.c.	28	1,452	476	32.8%
Social work	88	4,007	1,287	32.1%
Wearing apparel	14	428	136	31.8%
Leather and related products	15	73	23	31.5%
Motor vehicles and trailers	29	414	129	31.2%
Furniture	31	1,290	399	30.9%
Fishing and aquaculture	03	140	42	30%
Electrical equipment	27	604	167	27.6%
Travel agencies	79	1,628	446	27.4%
Printing and reproduction	18	2,023	548	27.1%
Water collection and supply	36	75	20	26.7%
Forestry and logging	02	698	186	26.6%
Wood and wood products	16	1,267	328	25.9%
Programming and broadcasting	60	613	158	25.8%
Pharmaceutical products	21	251	64	25.5%
Insurance and pension funding	65	337	85	25.2%
Waste collection and treatment	38	990	246	24.8%
Wholesale trade	46	42,083	10,257	24.4%
Computer, electronic and optical products	26	556	135	24.3%
Fabricated metal products	25	5,960	1,395	23.4%
Sewerage	37	193	45	23.3%
Food products	10	4,969	1,129	22.7%
Real estate activities	68	42,502	9,636	22.7%
Other transport equipment	30	205	44	21.5%
Water transport	50	492	106	21.5%
Sports and recreation	93	13,975	3,002	21.5%
Education	85	10,764	2,262	21%
Warehousing and support	52	4,032	837	20.8%
Accommodation	55	4,521	925	20.5%
Other manufacturing	32	1,573	319	20.3%
Gambling and betting	92	322	61	18.9%
Retail trade	47	58,983	10,379	17.6%
Land transport	49	14,891	2,603	17.5%
Publishing	58	1,934	339	17.5%
Rental and leasing	77	4,634	793	17.1%
Repair of computers and personal goods	95	7,458	1,208	16.2%
Auxiliary financial services	66	8,178	1,312	16%
Crop and animal production	01	15,312	2,422	15.8%
Air transport	51	335	51	15.2%
Civil engineering	42	3,558	466	13.1%
Security and investigation	80	677	82	12.1%
Creative, arts and entertainment	90	11,061	1,315	11.9%
Beverages	11	857	95	11.1%
Advertising and market research	73	15,799	1,694	10.7%
Food and beverage service	56	36,325	3,846	10.6%
Scientific research and development	72	1,617	171	10.6%
Construction of buildings	41	19,442	1,968	10.1%
Telecommunications	61	728	73	10%
Specialised construction activities	43	63,888	6,309	9.9%
Motion picture and sound production	59	4,267	419	9.8%
Other personal service activities	96	12,301	1,185	9.6%
Legal and accounting activities	69	26,627	2,320	8.7%
Employment activities	78	2,375	204	8.6%
Services to buildings and landscape	81	11,810	988	8.4%
Office administrative and support	82	20,897	1,702	8.1%
Architecture and engineering	71	20,536	1,632	7.9%
Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning	35	1,189	87	7.3%
Remediation activities	39	167	12	7.2%
Repair and installation of machinery	33	3,511	237	6.8%
Financial services	64	23,805	1,610	6.8%
Information services	63	4,178	247	5.9%
Other professional and technical activities	74	8,606	487	5.7%
Head offices and management consultancy	70	72,112	3,849	5.3%
Postal and courier activities	53	1,672	86	5.1%
Human health activities	86	33,438	1,474	4.4%
Veterinary activities	75	2,777	96	3.5%
Computer programming and consultancy	62	35,419	1,142	3.2%

Methodology

Source: The KBO licence (Art (snapshot 2026-10-15), licensed under KBO/BCE open data. Only industries with at least 50 companies are shown.

Last computed: 2026-10-15.

🇪🇪 Estonia

Of 283,570 active companies, about 1.0% have been registered for 30 years or more.

Industry	Code	Companies	30 yrs+	%
Other mining and quarrying	08	190	15	7.9%
Fishing and aquaculture	03	456	23	5%
Machinery and equipment n.e.c.	28	377	18	4.8%
Leather and related products	15	141	6	4.3%
Sewerage	37	144	6	4.2%
Rubber and plastic products	22	343	14	4.1%
Printing and reproduction	18	619	22	3.6%
Electrical equipment	27	256	9	3.5%
Computer, electronic and optical products	26	267	9	3.4%
Food products	10	1,497	46	3.1%
Textiles	13	565	17	3%
Security and investigation	80	207	6	2.9%
Other non-metallic mineral products	23	481	13	2.7%
Wood and wood products	16	1,753	43	2.5%
Beverages	11	212	5	2.4%
Wearing apparel	14	1,103	26	2.4%
Chemicals and chemical products	20	316	7	2.2%
Wholesale trade	46	15,523	324	2.1%
Crop and animal production	01	6,109	123	2%
Retail trade	47	20,881	379	1.8%
Fabricated metal products	25	2,302	38	1.7%
Legal and accounting activities	69	9,986	166	1.7%
Repair and installation of machinery	33	1,867	29	1.6%
Repair of computers and personal goods	95	4,230	66	1.6%
Land transport	49	8,307	124	1.5%
Warehousing and support	52	2,814	42	1.5%
Civil engineering	42	1,984	28	1.4%
Accommodation	55	2,865	41	1.4%
Real estate activities	68	26,601	373	1.4%
Other manufacturing	32	992	13	1.3%
Architecture and engineering	71	6,045	76	1.3%
Human health activities	86	3,857	46	1.2%
Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning	35	1,509	16	1.1%
Forestry and logging	02	3,722	37	1%
Food and beverage service	56	5,601	57	1%
Specialised construction activities	43	14,544	124	0.9%
Wholesale and retail trade of motor vehicles	45	1,816	17	0.9%
Rental and leasing	77	3,673	32	0.9%
Furniture	31	1,295	10	0.8%
Publishing	58	2,352	16	0.7%
Travel agencies	79	1,259	9	0.7%
Services to buildings and landscape	81	4,955	31	0.6%
Construction of buildings	41	11,806	61	0.5%
Motion picture and sound production	59	2,528	13	0.5%
Advertising and market research	73	5,987	32	0.5%
Education	85	7,130	39	0.5%
Other personal service activities	96	13,277	69	0.5%
Financial services	64	8,446	30	0.4%
Auxiliary financial services	66	1,985	8	0.4%
Scientific research and development	72	1,226	5	0.4%
Other professional and technical activities	74	10,028	44	0.4%
Head offices and management consultancy	70	15,490	44	0.3%
Employment activities	78	1,985	5	0.3%
Office administrative and support	82	6,349	19	0.3%
Computer programming and consultancy	62	21,861	39	0.2%
Creative, arts and entertainment	90	6,287	14	0.2%
Sports and recreation	93	4,954	11	0.2%
Air transport	51	78	0	0%
Residential care	87	137	0	0%

Methodology

Source: Äriregister bulk CSV, whole register (snapshot 2026-10-15), licensed under RIK open data. Only industries with at least 50 companies are shown.

Last computed: 2026-10-15.

Emptera