Statistics, trends and demographics for the PR industry.

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Public Relations Statistics

Welcome to our beta section on PR industry statistics. Using our extensive database of PR agencies, we aim to extract statistical information, creating new insights into the industry. We are currently working on does the PR industry need PR? and Pareto principle in PR agency popularity.

How many PR agencies are there in the UK?

It's probably impossible to give an accurate number but the ActiMedia datbase is probably the most complete listing in the world of UK PR agencies. We have details of 3997 agencies. We guess we have 95% of agencies so probably about 4,200.

How many people work in Public Relations in the UK?

Again this is not a simple question to answer. According to the 2006 IPA census, there were 17,367 people employed in 258 IPA member agencies, with the average agency employing 67.3 individuals. Generally only larger agencies are members of the IPA and they only represent 258 agencies which is a small sample of the approximate 4,200 agencies in the UK. The Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) estimated that there are now 48,000 people working in PR roles in the UK. Based on the ActiMedia database we know there are quite a few 1 man bands out there - we estaimte 1,000 in the UK. If we assume the rest employ an average of 5 people, we come up with a number of 31,742. This is only half the picture as quite a few companies have their own in-house PR departments. 48,000 seems a reasonable number for both agencies and in-house PR departments.

We are working to develop ActiMedia to allow agencies to provide census informaiton allowing us to give more accurate picture of the size of teh industry and important employment trends.

Where are UK PR agencies based?

Traditional wisdom is that PR agencies are usually based in London. Certainly our database confirms that there are alot of PR agencies in London but is there more to this than appears at first sight? First let's find out where agencies are located.

The map shows that clearly there is a cluster of PR agencies in London but also many agencies scattered across the UK. OK lets find out what's happening in London.

Interestingly most of the PR agencies are clustered around the west end and city, north of the river. This may be historic when it made sense to be near the media in Fleet Street andother media houses. However publishing is moving out of London to cheaper locations.

Let's delve deeper into the wider picture. Let's calculate the number of PR agencies relative to the population of an area and how many PR agencies relative the geographical area.

County Number of PR Agencies PR agencies per 100,000 Population PR Agencies per 100km2

Bedfordshire 39 6.47 3.15
Berkshire 131 16.12 10.38
Bristol 56 13.29 50.90
Buckinghamshire 118 16.26 6.29
Cambridgeshire 67 8.71 1.97
Cheshire 76 7.55 3.24
Cornwall 22 4.11 0.61
Cumbria 16 3.22 0.23
Derbyshire 30 2.99 1.14
Devon 64 5.60 0.95
Dorset 10 1.40 0.37
East Sussex 82 10.69 4.57
Essex 66 3.85 1.79
Gloucestershire 31 3.68 0.98
Greater London 709 9.43 44.95
Greater Manchester 119 4.62 9.32
Hampshire 55 3.19 1.45
Herefordshire 5 2.78 0.22
Hertfordshire 50 4.63 3.04
Kent 52 3.13 1.39
Lancashire 34 2.34 1.10
Leicestershire 31 3.29 1.43
Lincolnshire 17 1.67 0.24
Merseyside 46 3.36 7.13
Norfolk 50 5.87 0.93
North Yorkshire 32 2.98 0.36
Northamptonshire 26 3.79 1.09
Northumberland 12 3.85 0.23
Nottinghamshire 61 5.70 2.82
Oxfordshire 82 12.81 3.14
Rutland 5 12.75 1.30
Shropshire 21 4.61 0.60
Somerset 20 2.19 0.47
South Yorkshire 18 1.38 1.15
Staffordshire 27 2.52 0.99
Suffolk 39 5.44 1.02
Surrey 38 3.42 2.28
Tyne and Wear 44 4.02 8.14
Warwickshire 27 5.08 1.36
West Midlands 102 3.89 11.30
West Sussex 33 4.22 1.65
West Yorkshire 85 3.93 4.18
Wiltshire 23 5.04 0.65

County	Number of PR Agencies	PR agencies per 100,000 Population	PR Agencies per 100km2
Bedfordshire	39	6.47	3.15
Berkshire	131	16.12	10.38
Bristol	56	13.29	50.90
Buckinghamshire	118	16.26	6.29
Cambridgeshire	67	8.71	1.97
Cheshire	76	7.55	3.24
Cornwall	22	4.11	0.61
Cumbria	16	3.22	0.23
Derbyshire	30	2.99	1.14
Devon	64	5.60	0.95
Dorset	10	1.40	0.37
East Sussex	82	10.69	4.57
Essex	66	3.85	1.79
Gloucestershire	31	3.68	0.98
Greater London	709	9.43	44.95
Greater Manchester	119	4.62	9.32
Hampshire	55	3.19	1.45
Herefordshire	5	2.78	0.22
Hertfordshire	50	4.63	3.04
Kent	52	3.13	1.39
Lancashire	34	2.34	1.10
Leicestershire	31	3.29	1.43
Lincolnshire	17	1.67	0.24
Merseyside	46	3.36	7.13
Norfolk	50	5.87	0.93
North Yorkshire	32	2.98	0.36
Northamptonshire	26	3.79	1.09
Northumberland	12	3.85	0.23
Nottinghamshire	61	5.70	2.82
Oxfordshire	82	12.81	3.14
Rutland	5	12.75	1.30
Shropshire	21	4.61	0.60
Somerset	20	2.19	0.47
South Yorkshire	18	1.38	1.15
Staffordshire	27	2.52	0.99
Suffolk	39	5.44	1.02
Surrey	38	3.42	2.28
Tyne and Wear	44	4.02	8.14
Warwickshire	27	5.08	1.36
West Midlands	102	3.89	11.30
West Sussex	33	4.22	1.65
West Yorkshire	85	3.93	4.18
Wiltshire	23	5.04	0.65

This data certainly tells a different story.

London has the most PR agencies
Berkshire and Buckinghamshire are hot beds of PR with more PR agencies per 100,000 population than even London
Bristol has the highest geographical density of PR agencies (higher than London) with 50 PR agencies per 100km2

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