What the evidence means
The UK Business Data Survey interviewed 4,450 businesses between October 2025 and January 2026. Results are weighted by business size and sector.
Weighted survey of 4,450 UK businesses.
G&G verified business evidence
UK businesses handling digitised data in 2025 to 2026
In 2025 to 2026, 86% of UK businesses handled digitised data.
86
percent
Original source
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
UK Business Data Survey 2026
The survey reports that 86% of UK businesses handle digitised data.
View original evidence
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. UK Business Data Survey 2026. 18th of June, 2026. https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/uk-business-data-survey-2026/uk-business-data-survey-2026
Why this matters to UK SMEs
Digitised data is now part of routine operations for most UK businesses, including many sole traders and microbusinesses. That makes data quality, access, security and lawful handling everyday management issues rather than concerns limited to technology companies.
Key breakdowns
Overall, 86% of businesses handled digitised data. The share was 83% for sole traders, 92% for microbusinesses, 99% for small businesses, 99% for medium businesses and 96% for large businesses. Information and communication and professional, scientific and technical businesses each recorded 94%, with finance and insurance at 90%. The previous overall results were 77% in 2023 to 2024 and 85% in 2021 to 2022.
How to interpret this evidence
Handling digitised data is broad and can include routine customer, financial, sales or employee information. It does not show analytical maturity, commercial use, security quality or volume. The size pattern may reflect both genuine practice and different interpretations of the question.
Limitations
The estimate is weighted from 4,450 survey responses collected between October 2025 and January 2026. It is self-reported, agriculture was omitted from sector reporting because of sample size and confidence intervals apply. Comparisons with the 2020 to 2021 telephone-only survey require extra caution.
Practical considerations
G&G perspective: maintain a simple register of important data, its purpose, owner, location, access and retention. Prioritise accuracy, secure access, tested backup and lawful handling for information that drives customer service, finance, staffing or operational decisions.