British Cleaning Council Reveals Cleaning Industry Valued at a Record-Breaking £66.9bn

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19 March 2025

The value of the cleaning, hygiene and waste industry has jumped by more than ten per cent in the last year.

The British Cleaning Council’s (BCC) annual research report demonstrates that:

 

• Employment in the cleaning, hygiene and waste sector has increased from 1.47 million to 1.49 million. This equates to approximately five per cent of the UK workforce
• Close to 47 per cent of the industry turnover was from facilities management, while waste and resource management contributed 25 per cent, cleaning activities 19 per cent and landscape services over 9 per cent.
• The cleaning, hygiene and waste industry directly employs over 1,008,700 staff, a 0.44 per cent increase from the previous year. 
• The number of sector businesses has increased year-on-year since 2013, when 47,665 companies were in operation. Today, there are more than 77,535 businesses in operation.
•  Nearly nine in ten (89 per cent) are micro-businesses, employing less than ten individuals.
• Overall, the industry is 58 per cent female and 42 per cent male
• Only 9 per cent of people working in the industry are aged under 25 and 27% are aged over 55 years. This suggests the sector is likely to face issues around an ageing workforce.

 

BCC Chair Delia Cannings said: “Our latest research shows that the cleaning, hygiene and waste sector rebounded strongly after the Covid-19 pandemic, to make a record-breaking contribution to the UK economy. 

“Our figures also confirm that the sector has maintained its position as one of the ten biggest and most important industries in the UK. 

“Our annual research report paints a fascinating and detailed picture of the industry and its sub-sectors, making it essential reading for sector colleagues. We are pleased to be able to offer a free copy to anyone who gets in touch with us.”

To order your free digital copy of the BCC’s 2025 research report, email compsec@britishcleaningcouncil.org. Attendees at the Cleaning Show can order a copy at the BCC stand. 

Picture: a photograph of a circular robotic vacuum cleaner. Image Credit: British Cleaning Council

Article written by Ella Tansley | Published 19 March 2025

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