Most Profitable Industries in United Kingdom in 2026

• 1. Banks in the UK

  Total Profit for 2026: £66.8B

  Over the five years through 2025-26, UK banks' revenue is expected to climb at a compound annual rate of 4.8% to £136 billion, including an anticipated hike of 3.6% in 2025-26. After the financial crisis in 2007-08, low interest rates limited banks' interest in loans, hitting income. At the same time, a stricter regulatory environment, including increased capital requirements introduced under the Basel III banking reforms and ring-fencing regulations, constricted lending activity. To protect ...

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• 2. Legal Activities in the UK

  Total Profit for 2026: £17.4B

  Revenue is projected to climb at a compound annual rate of 2% to £50.4 billion over the five years through 2025-26. Recent economic headwinds, including severe inflationary pressures and geopolitical tensions, have taken a hit on consumer spending and business activity, which has limited industry growth. However, the industry is countercyclical, meaning that demand for legal work in certain areas, including litigation and insolvency matters, grows in times of economic downturn. The largest fi...

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• 3. Management Consultants in the UK

  Total Profit for 2026: £15.5B

  In recent years, while adverse economic conditions have slowed down demand for management consultants, revenue has been upheld by swelling demand for IT consulting services. While expanding business activity and spending have fuelled management consultants’ revenue during upbeat economic conditions, the provision of countercyclical services has supported revenue during periods of economic instability. They’ve also benefitted from regulatory changes, as businesses have required help to fine-tu...

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• 4. Computer Consultants in the UK

  Total Profit for 2026: £15.2B

  The Computer Consultants industry’s revenue has experienced continued positive growth as technological developments create high demand for their expertise and services. This growth was extreme as workplace operations shifted to become even more digital during the pandemic. The industry has faced increasing obstacles due to a highly competitive market, talent shortages and low business confidence caused by an uncertain economic environment, cited frequently by consultants as feeding into poor ...

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• 5. Building Project Development in the UK

  Total Profit for 2026: £12.2B

  The financial and operational success of property development markets depends on a range of socio-economic factors, including property values, market sentiment and credit conditions. Project developers are reliant on strong downstream business sentiment and construction output, which in turn dictate demand for their developments. Severe supply chain disruptions and lingering inflationary pressure, causing elevated borrowing costs, have led to a decline in business confidence and a slump in tr...

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• 6. Security & Commodity Contracts Brokerage in the UK

  Total Profit for 2026: £10.3B

  Volatility in financial markets has been high in recent years, which has, at times, benefitted the brokerage industry through greater trading activity as investors look to capitalise on price swings. Most notably, fiscal uncertainty and aggressive interest hikes from Central Banks facing rampant inflation have incited severe volatility. Revenue is expected to grow at a compound annual rate of 0.5% over the five years through 2025-26 to £41.2 billion, including estimated growth of 4.1% in 2025...

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• 7. Business Process Outsourcing Services in the UK

  Total Profit for 2026: £8.4B

  Business process outsourcing (BPO) companies offer services to clients across all sectors of the economy, with the financial services and public sectors being particularly significant markets. The expansion of IT and AI adoption, as well as government expenditure, has incentivised businesses to invest more heavily in IT systems and upgrades, thereby supporting demand for BPO services. Industry revenue is expected to expand at a compound annual rate of 1.3% over the five years through 2025-26 ...

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• 8. Accounting & Auditing in the UK

  Total Profit for 2026: £8.3B

  The accounting and auditing industry benefits from the wide range of businesses it serves and because many UK businesses need to have their financial accounts audited. During periods of economic growth, demand for accounting and auditing services picks up. During adverse economic conditions, revenue remains fairly stable thanks to demand for countercyclical services, like restructuring and cost-cutting advice. Although the Big Four accounting firms – PwC, Deloitte, EY and KPMG – have a strong...

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• 9. Residential Building Construction in the UK

  Total Profit for 2026: £7.7B

  Residential building contractors are contingent on the propensity of property developers to invest in new ventures; movements in property prices; government schemes intended to boost the housing supply; and underlying sentiment in the housing market. Industry contractors have endured turbulent operating conditions over the past five years, leading to volatile shifts in revenue and profitability. Revenue is forecast to grow at a compound annual rate of 5.4% over the five years through 2025-26,...

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• 10. Supermarkets in the UK

  Total Profit for 2026: £7.0B

  ]The Supermarkets industry has undergone something of a shift over the past decade – discounters Aldi and Lidl have penetrated the customer base of the traditional “Big Four” supermarkets (Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda and Morrisons), with their low prices and improving quality of products resonating with price-conscious shoppers. Over the five years through 2025-26, supermarkets' revenue is expected to climb at a compound annual rate of 0.4% to £211.8 billion, with an anticipated hike of 0.5% in ...

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