Wealden Has South East’s Highest Share Of Older Business Founders — Study

Wealden has the highest proportion of company founders aged over 60 in the South East, while Crawley ranks among the region’s leading areas for young entrepreneurs.

A study by virtual office provider Virtual HQ found that 13.3% of new company directors appointed in Wealden were aged over 60, more than double the national figure of 5.9%.

The research examined 474,121 companies incorporated across the UK between August 2025 and July 2026, analysing the recorded ages of directors appointed when the businesses were established.

Wealden ranked sixth nationally for its share of older founders, with 149 of the 1,120 directors included in the local figures aged over 60.

Chichester also featured prominently, ranking third in the South East, with 11.2% of new company directors aged over 60.

Meanwhile, Crawley was among the region’s hotspots for younger entrepreneurs. Some 9.5% of its new company directors were aged under 25, compared with 8.7% nationally.

That placed Crawley third in the South East for its share of young founders.

The research also found that Rother had an above-average proportion of older founders, at 11%.

Virtual HQ says the findings highlight the different age profiles of people starting businesses across the region.