© Copyright Acquisition International 2026 - All Rights Reserved.

Article Image - The UK Cities with the Most Female Leaders
Posted 16th October 2023

The UK Cities with the Most Female Leaders

A recent study, carried out by Instant Offices provides an in-depth look into the landscape of female leadership throughout the UK. The focus of this analysis spans various dimensions such as location, age, and industry sectors.

Mouse Scroll AnimationScroll to keep reading

Let us help promote your business to a wider following.

The UK Cities with the Most Female Leaders

Young business woman looking at the camera with her colleagues on the background

Manchester, Birmingham & Bristol in Top 10 UK Cities Championing the Surge in Female Leaders!    

  • The UK has witnessed a remarkable 150% surge in female leadership positions. 
  • London leads the way with 32,854 female leaders, followed distantly by Manchester at 3,269. 
  • Real estate emerges as the top industry for female leaders, showing a staggering 147% growth in female leadership since 2018-2019. 

A recent study, carried out by Instant Offices provides an in-depth look into the landscape of female leadership throughout the UK. The focus of this analysis spans various dimensions such as location, age, and industry sectors. The results not only spotlight the current scenario but also gauge the trajectory in the representation of female leadership. 

Instant Offices, as a pioneering entity in the flexible workspace solution sector, remains committed to facilitating businesses with updated data-driven insights. With its comprehensive analysis, Instant Offices aids businesses in navigating the ever-evolving workspace landscape. 

Cities Making Strides:

Leading the pack, London emerges as the paramount hub for female leaders, with a total count of 32,854. This count dwarfs the second-placed Manchester, which hosts 3,269 female leaders. A unique trend surfaces in London where a significant majority of leadership roles are held by the younger demographic aged 18-25. As we traverse the length and breadth of the UK, older demographics are more prevalent in leadership roles, signifying the capital’s distinctive appeal to younger leaders. 

Top 10 cities with the most female leaders

London 32,854
Manchester 3,269
Birmingham 2,516
Bristol 1,582
Leeds 1,548
Nottingham 1,539
Leicester 1,252
Liverpool 1,246
Cardiff 1,226
Sheffield 1,056

Age & Leadership:

The age distribution among female leaders paints a vivid picture. Women aged between 31 and 40 are leading the pack, holding the highest number of leadership positions. On the contrary, those between 18-25 hold fewer positions. It’s also noteworthy that a decline in leadership roles can be observed among women over 40 – a trend potentially influenced by women stepping back from the workforce in their later years.

Number of female leadership positions by age

18-25 4,240
25-30 13,072
31-40 26,615
41-50 20,676
50+ 17,411

Industries Pioneering Change:

Entrepreneurship emerges as a significant catalyst, propelling more women into leadership roles. The real estate industry champions this cause with a total of 19,984 positions held by women. This represents a breathtaking 147% increase from the numbers observed in the years 2018-2019. Furthermore, industries like retail & beauty and business support services have also showcased significant growth in female leadership, proving that a holistic shift towards inclusive leadership isn’t just a hope but a reality. 

Top 10 industries with the most female leaders

Letting/operating personal real estate 8736
Buying/selling of personal real estate 7872
Mail order & online retail 6765
Management or consultancy 6709
Business support services 4530
Other service activities 3951
Activities for holding companies 3487
Hairdressing and other beauty treatment 3167
Dormant Company 2997
Health & Wellbeing 2867

This comprehensive data not only highlights the current trends but also underscores a promising uptrend in the representation of female leadership across various industries and cities in the UK. With such encouraging statistics, the prospects for aspiring female leaders in the UK shine brighter than ever. 

Categories: Leadership, News


You Might Also Like
Read Full PostRead - Eye Icon
2016’s Alternative Investment Top Twenty-Five – Japan
Finance
01/11/20162016’s Alternative Investment Top Twenty-Five – Japan

First established in April 2005, Stats Investment Management Co., Ltd. is a hedge fund manager based in Japan specialising in managing Japanese equity long/short strategies.

Read Full PostRead - Eye Icon
Ethical AI: Why the Insurance Industry Must Stop Racing Towards Automation and Firstly Consider Consumer Impact
Innovation
09/03/2023Ethical AI: Why the Insurance Industry Must Stop Racing Towards Automation and Firstly Consider Consumer Impact

The insurance industry is driven by data, from underwriting to claims to pricing, as well as customer interactions, marketing and products. The exponential growth in the volume of structured and unstructured data available to insurers has meant that the histor

Read Full PostRead - Eye Icon
Transfer Pricing
Finance
01/07/2016Transfer Pricing

BDO is an international network of public accounting, tax and advisory firms which perform professional services under the name of BDO. We have representation in 157 territories, with 64.300 people working out of over 1.400 offices worldwide.

Read Full PostRead - Eye Icon
How To Build A Business Continuity Plan In 5 Steps
Strategy
09/11/2022How To Build A Business Continuity Plan In 5 Steps

A BCP will help ensure the operations continue, your staff is secure, and business assets are safe. Remember, you never know when such calamities will happen. Adequate planning can help you avoid losing revenue, customers shifting to your competitors, and incu

Read Full PostRead - Eye Icon
9 Things You Need To Know About Franking Credits Before Investing
Finance
23/02/20239 Things You Need To Know About Franking Credits Before Investing

Franking credits are a way for investors to enjoy additional returns on certain investments. They are tax credits attached to dividends or other distributions paid by companies, which reduce the taxes an investor has to pay on their income.

Read Full PostRead - Eye Icon
6 Investment Strategies for Thriving in Uncertain Markets
News
28/06/20246 Investment Strategies for Thriving in Uncertain Markets

Navigating uncertain markets can feel like sailing through a storm without a compass. You need solid strategies to thrive, not just survive. In this piece, we’ll explore six investment tactics that make sense now and for the future. Whether it’s di

Read Full PostRead - Eye Icon
Bot Protection in Ticketing: Stopping Scalpers Before They Strike
Technology
18/12/2025Bot Protection in Ticketing: Stopping Scalpers Before They Strike

Scalping bots have rewritten the rules of live entertainment. In real time, algorithms can blitz online ticketing systems, sweeping ticket blocks and ultimately flipping them for profits exceeding 500%. While real fans are left in the dust, venues and event op

Read Full PostRead - Eye Icon
Building the Future of Construction
Innovation
13/10/2021Building the Future of Construction

Having received the accolade of the ‘Best Building Enclosure Products Manufacturer’ for 2021 in the USA, MaxLife Industries will use its new flagship product to inspire innovation in the building materials industry.

Read Full PostRead - Eye Icon
The Wallet of the Future
Finance
30/11/2016The Wallet of the Future

Allied Wallet is a world leader in payment processing and merchant services, enabling consumers to transact with merchants at a very low rate.



Our Trusted Brands

Acquisition International is a flagship brand of AI Global Media. AI Global Media is a B2B enterprise and are committed to creating engaging content allowing businesses to market their services to a larger global audience. We have a number of unique brands, each of which serves a specific industry or region. Each brand covers the latest news in its sector and publishes a digital magazine and newsletter which is read by a global audience.

Arrow