UK AI and automation statistics for small businesses (2026)

This page collects the most useful public statistics on how UK small businesses use AI and automation. Every figure links to the organisation that published it, with the date, so you can check it and quote the original. We read each source on 28 October 2026 and left out any number we could not find on the source page itself.

In short: official ONS data shows 30% of UK businesses using at least one AI technology in September 2026, up from 9% three years earlier. Smaller firms are behind larger ones, and most adopters use AI lightly, mainly for writing and admin.

<a href="https://trustedaiagencies.com/guides/uk-ai-automation-statistics-2026/">UK AI automation statistics 2026, TrustedAIAgencies</a>

Adoption: how many businesses use AI

1. 30% of all UK businesses reported using at least one type of AI technology in September 2026, up from 9% when the question was first asked in September 2023. (ONS BICS, 8 October 2026)
2. 51% of businesses with 250 or more employees used AI in September 2026, up 32 percentage points from 19% in September 2023. (ONS BICS, 8 October 2026)
3. Among businesses with 10 or more employees, AI use rose from around 12% to around 35% between late 2023 and June 2026. (ONS, 20 July 2026)
4. 28% of businesses with 0 to 9 employees used at least one AI technology in June 2026, against 49% of businesses with 250 or more employees. (ONS, 20 July 2026)
5. 55% of small firms surveyed by FSB were using AI, up from 20% in 2023. FSB surveyed 904 small business owners from 11 to 24 November 2025. (FSB, 16 June 2026)
6. 35% of SMEs said they were actively using AI technology in 2025, up from 25% in 2024. (British Chambers of Commerce, 22 September 2025)
7. A further 24% of SMEs planned to adopt AI, and the share with no plans to use it fell from 43% to 33%. (BCC, 22 September 2025)
8. AI is used in 36% of micro businesses (0 to 9 employees), 44% of small businesses (10 to 49) and 60% of medium-sized businesses (50 to 249). (Start Up Loans and YouGov, 17 July 2025)
9. In a government survey of 3,500 businesses taken from February to May 2025, 16% used at least one AI technology, and 14% of micro businesses. (DSIT AI Adoption Research)
10. 80% of businesses in the same DSIT survey neither used AI nor had plans to. (DSIT AI Adoption Research)
11. 27% of UK businesses that handle digital data use AI-based technologies, rising to 42% in London against 26% elsewhere. (DSIT Business data use and productivity study, wave 2)
12. 71% of UK firms in the Bank of England Decision Maker Panel reported using some AI technology between November 2025 and January 2026. These results are employment-weighted, so larger firms count for more. (VoxEU, Bank of England DMP data)

These numbers differ a lot because the surveys do. The ONS samples businesses across the economy, while the DMP asks senior executives and weights by employment. FSB and BCC survey their own networks.

Sectors

13. 58% of businesses in information and communication used AI in June 2026, against 13% in construction. (ONS, 20 July 2026)
14. 46% of B2B service firms, such as finance, law and marketing, use AI, against 26% of B2C firms and manufacturers. (BCC, 22 September 2025)

How deeply businesses use AI

15. The average AI-using business with 10 or more employees used about 1.6 AI technologies in June 2026, up only from 1.4 in late 2023. (ONS, 20 July 2026)
16. Text generation with large language models (21%) and visual content creation (19%) were the most used AI technologies among businesses with 10 or more employees in September 2026. (ONS BICS, 8 October 2026)
17. Only 10% of AI-using businesses with 10 or more employees use AI extensively. Among AI users with 0 to 9 employees, the figure is 17%. (ONS, 20 July 2026)
18. 15% of businesses with 10 or more employees say more than half their staff use AI in daily work. (ONS, 20 July 2026)
19. 55% of employees report using AI for work or education, against around 35% of businesses reporting AI use. (ONS, 20 July 2026)
20. Just 11% of SMEs use technology to a great extent to automate or streamline operations. 42% do so to some extent, 29% to a minimal extent and 14% not at all. (BCC, 22 September 2025)
21. In micro businesses with 5 to 9 employees that use AI, on average 38% of staff use it, against 26% in small businesses. (DSIT AI Adoption Research)
22. 81% of micro businesses that use or plan to use AI do so for creative and content work, against 77% of all businesses. (DSIT AI Adoption Research)
23. Around 31% of businesses with 0 to 9 employees that use AI use it to provide or personalise products or services. (ONS, 20 July 2026)

Plans, budgets and buying

24. 71% of businesses using AI had been considering it for around a year before they deployed it. (DSIT AI Adoption Research)
25. The most common plans are off-the-shelf AI applications (65%) and building AI into existing tools or systems (59%). (DSIT AI Adoption Research)
26. Of businesses planning to adopt AI within a year, 47% had no specific budget set and 25% did not know how much was budgeted. (DSIT AI Adoption Research)
27. Only 23% of micro businesses pay for access to AI tools, against 62% of medium-sized businesses. (Start Up Loans and YouGov, 17 July 2025)

Results and jobs

28. 65% of current and prospective AI users say the main reason to adopt or expand AI is to increase efficiency or productivity. (DSIT AI Adoption Research)
29. 56% of businesses using AI reported higher employee productivity since adopting it. (DSIT AI Adoption Research)
30. 59% of small firms using AI reported productivity gains, 24% higher revenues and 22% business growth. Fewer than one in ten (8%) said it helped reduce staff levels. (FSB, 16 June 2026)
31. 6% of AI-using businesses with 10 or more employees reported reduced headcount as a result in September 2026. (ONS BICS, 8 October 2026)
32. 38% of AI-using businesses with 10 or more employees said administrative and clerical roles were the most affected. (ONS BICS, 8 October 2026)
33. UK firms in the Decision Maker Panel expect AI to raise productivity by 1.9% and lower employment by 1.4% over the next three years. (VoxEU, Bank of England DMP data)

Barriers and skills

34. 92% of small firms raise concerns about AI risks, up from 73% in 2023. The top worry is inaccurate responses (54%), then security (39%). (FSB, 16 June 2026)
35. IT security (25%) and a lack of suitable financing (25%) are the biggest barriers to further AI adoption for SMEs, followed by slow internet (22%). (Start Up Loans and YouGov, 17 July 2025)
36. 41% of UK businesses with 10 or more employees reported no barriers to AI adoption in the last three months. (ONS, 20 July 2026)
37. 62% of businesses that cite a lack of AI expertise are training or retraining staff, against around 26% of businesses with no barriers. (ONS, 20 July 2026)
38. Only 11% of businesses with 10 or more employees say more than half their workforce has had AI-related training. (ONS, 20 July 2026)

What UK AI automation agencies charge (our data)

From our own study of prices published by UK AI automation agencies, checked on agencies’ websites in October 2026:

39. About two in five agencies in our directory (41%) publish at least one price on their own website.
40. The median published starting price is £1,500 for a one-off project, £750 for an audit and £250 a month for a monthly plan. These are advertised “from” prices, not project averages.