Pharmacies · United Kingdom
UK Pharmacy Businesses Up 21%[3] Since 2019, but Turnover Down 12%[3] Since 2022
The number of UK dispensing chemist businesses rose from 5,112[3] in 2019 to 6,161[3] in 2024, while their turnover fell from £14.9bn[3] in 2022 to £13.1bn[3] in 2024, not adjusted for inflation.
Read this before using these figures. This counts businesses, not pharmacies. One business can own many pharmacies, and when a chain sells branches to independent owners, each new owner is a new business, so the count can rise while the number of pharmacies falls.
Turnover is not adjusted for inflation. Turnover per business is total turnover divided by the number of businesses.
Turnover and Number of Businesses Since 2019
| Year | Total turnover | Businesses |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | £12,141 million[3] | 5,112[3] |
| 2020 | £12,778 million[3] | 5,176[3] |
| 2021 | £13,179 million[3] | 5,306[3] |
| 2022 | £14,938 million[3] | 5,549[3] |
| 2023 | £12,793 million[3] | 6,004[3] |
| 2024 | £13,087 million[3] | 6,161[3] |
Source: Office for National Statistics, Annual Business Survey (UK SIC 47.73), 2019 to 2024.Download the data
How to Read These Figures
- Businesses are enterprises whose main activity is this industry, as counted by the ONS Annual Business Survey. A company with many sites counts once.
- Turnover is the industry's total sales, including exports and excluding VAT, in cash terms. It is not adjusted for inflation, so part of any rise reflects higher prices.
- 2019 is the starting point because it is the last year before the pandemic; 2020 would flatter most growth rates.
- Every number links to the exact table and cell it comes from. Percentage changes and turnover per business are calculated directly from those cited figures.
Sources
- Eurostat, Euro/ECU exchange rates - annual data. Retrieved 24 September 2026. Source link. Eurostat reuse policy (Commission Decision 2011/833/EU), attribution required
- Eurostat, Enterprises by detailed NACE Rev. 2 activity and special aggregates. Retrieved 24 September 2026. Source link. Eurostat reuse policy (Commission Decision 2011/833/EU), attribution required
- ONS, Annual Business Survey: UK non-financial business economy, sections A to S. Retrieved 24 September 2026. Source link. Open Government Licence v3.0, attribution required