UK consulting generated £16.8 billion in fees. The Big Four captured 55 percent of revenues while the full sector employed 450,000 professionals. Figures on workforce composition, firm performance, and service demand follow.
Key Takeaways
- UK consulting employment contributed to 1.2% of total UK jobs in 2023, with 450,000 professionals
- The Big Four firms hold 55% market share in UK consulting revenues in 2023
- The UK management consulting market was valued at £14.5 billion in 2022, marking a 7.5% increase from the previous year
- Total revenue of top 10 UK consulting firms reached £9.8 billion in 2023
- 68% of UK consulting firms report increased AI adoption demand in 2024 surveys
UK consulting industry statistics show steady demand and resilient growth across key sectors.
Related reading
01 · Category
Employment And Workforce20 stats
01
UK consulting employment contributed to 1.2% of total UK jobs in 2023, with 450,000 professionals
02
Number of management consultants in UK reached 120,000 in 2022, up 4.5% from 2021
03
UK consulting firms employed 380,000 full-time equivalents in 2023
04
25% of UK consulting workforce are women as of 2023
05
Average salary for UK management consultants: £65,000 in 2023
06
15,000 new consulting jobs created in UK in 2023, growth rate 3.8%
07
UK consulting sector had 2.1% unemployment rate in 2023, below national average
08
40% of UK consultants hold MBA degrees in 2023 survey
09
Partner-level consultants in UK Big Four firms: average 1,200 per firm in 2023
10
Remote working in UK consulting rose to 55% of workforce in 2023
11
UK consulting apprenticeships grew 18% to 5,200 in 2023
12
Diversity: 12% ethnic minorities in UK consulting workforce 2023
13
Average tenure for UK consultants: 3.2 years in 2023
14
28,000 freelancers in UK consulting market in 2023, up 22%
15
UK consulting firms with over 1,000 employees: 45 in 2023
16
Youth employment (under 30) in consulting: 35% of total workforce 2023
17
Consulting job vacancies in UK: 12,500 unfilled in Q4 2023
18
Big Four UK consulting staff: 65,000 total in 2023
19
Attrition rate in UK consulting: 14.5% annually in 2023
20
UK consulting firms' training spend: £1.2 billion in 2023
Interpretation
Employment And Workforce Interpretation
In the Employment And Workforce picture for UK consulting, the sector employed about 450,000 professionals in 2023 and generated 15,000 new consulting jobs that year, while management consultants climbed to 120,000 in 2022 and women still made up only 25% of the workforce.
03 · Category
Market Size And Growth20 stats
01
The UK management consulting market was valued at £14.5 billion in 2022, marking a 7.5% increase from the previous year
02
UK consulting revenues reached £12.9 billion in 2021, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.2% from 2017-2021
03
The overall UK professional services market, including consulting, grew to £152 billion in 2023, up 5.1% YoY
04
UK strategy consulting segment expanded by 9.8% in 2022 to £3.2 billion
05
Total UK consulting market projected to hit £20.1 billion by 2027, with 6.3% CAGR from 2023-2027
06
In 2023, UK consulting industry saw 8.4% growth, fueled by post-pandemic recovery
07
UK IT consulting market valued at £8.7 billion in 2022, growing 10.2% YoY
08
Professional, scientific, and technical services sector (incl. consulting) contributed £92 billion to UK GVA in 2022
09
UK consulting market share in Europe stood at 12.5% in 2022, with £15.2 billion revenue
10
From 2020-2023, UK consulting grew at 5.7% CAGR despite COVID disruptions
11
UK management advisory services market reached £4.1 billion in 2023, up 6.8%
12
Overall UK consulting fees billed totaled £16.8 billion in 2023
13
UK consulting market expanded 11.3% in H1 2023 alone
14
Projected UK consulting market size for 2025: £18.9 billion
15
UK consulting industry GVA growth rate: 7.1% in 2022 vs. 2021
16
Europe-wide consulting growth at 6.2% in 2022, with UK leading at 8.1%
17
UK consulting market post-Brexit recovery: +9.2% growth in 2023
18
Digital consulting subset in UK grew to £5.4 billion in 2023, +12.5% YoY
19
UK consulting market concentration: top 10 firms hold 45% share in 2023
20
Annual growth forecast for UK consulting 2024-2028: 5.9% CAGR
Interpretation
Market Size And Growth Interpretation
The UK management consulting market is clearly in an expansion phase, growing to £14.5 billion in 2022 with 7.5% year over year growth and projected to reach £20.1 billion by 2027 at a 6.3% CAGR, reflecting steady momentum in the market size and growth category.
More related reading
04 · Category
Revenue And Financial Performance22 stats
01
Total revenue of top 10 UK consulting firms reached £9.8 billion in 2023
02
Average profit margin for UK consulting firms: 18.2% in 2022
03
PwC UK consulting revenue: £4.3 billion in FY2023, up 12%
04
Deloitte UK consulting billings: £3.9 billion in 2023
05
EY UK consulting revenue grew 11% to £2.8 billion in 2023
06
KPMG UK consulting fees: £2.4 billion in 2023, +9.5% YoY
07
Accenture UK revenue from consulting: £2.1 billion in FY2023
08
Average billing rate for UK partners: £1,200 per day in 2023
09
UK consulting EBITDA margins averaged 22.4% for top firms in 2022
10
M&A consulting fees in UK: £1.1 billion in 2023
11
Tax advisory consulting revenue in UK: £850 million in 2023, up 7%
12
Risk consulting segment revenue: £2.3 billion in UK 2023
13
UK consulting firms' total profits: £3.2 billion in 2022
14
Hourly billing rates for junior consultants in UK: £450 average in 2023
15
Sustainability consulting revenue in UK: £650 million in 2023, +25% growth
16
Public sector consulting contracts value: £4.5 billion in UK FY2023
17
Private equity consulting fees: £1.4 billion across UK firms in 2023
18
Tech implementation consulting revenue: £3.1 billion in 2023 UK
19
Overall UK consulting profitability index rose 5.2% in 2023
20
McKinsey UK revenue estimated at £1.2 billion in 2023
21
BCG UK consulting fees: £850 million in 2023, +10.5%
22
Bain UK revenue: £620 million in 2023
Interpretation
Revenue And Financial Performance Interpretation
In the Revenue and Financial Performance snapshot, UK consulting firms are showing strong momentum with top 10 revenues reaching £9.8 billion in 2023 and major leaders like PwC rising 12% to £4.3 billion and EY growing 11% to £2.8 billion.
05 · Category
Trends, Challenges, And Future Outlook20 stats
01
68% of UK consulting firms report increased AI adoption demand in 2024 surveys
02
Sustainability consulting demand up 35% in UK from 2022-2023
03
45% of UK firms plan to outsource more to consultants post-2023 recession fears
04
Cyber security consulting projects in UK rose 28% in 2023
05
Hybrid cloud adoption driving 22% of UK IT consulting spend in 2024 forecast
06
Regulatory compliance challenges affect 62% of UK consulting projects in 2023
07
Generative AI expected to transform 30% of consulting services by 2027 in UK
08
Net zero commitments boost ESG consulting by 41% in UK 2023
09
Talent shortage cited as top challenge by 71% of UK consulting leaders in 2023
10
Digital transformation projects comprise 55% of UK consulting pipeline in 2024
11
Inflation impacted 48% of UK consulting contracts with fee adjustments in 2023
12
Supply chain resilience consulting demand up 19% post-Ukraine crisis in UK
13
52% of UK consultants predict slower growth in 2024 due to economic uncertainty
14
Automation tools reducing junior consultant roles by 15% in UK firms 2023-2025
15
Public sector spend on consulting down 8% in UK FY2023 amid scrutiny
16
Health & life sciences consulting growth at 14% CAGR to 2028 in UK
17
37% of UK consulting deals now include success fees in 2023
18
Brexit-related consulting peaked then declined 25% by 2023 in UK
19
Future outlook: UK consulting to grow 7.2% in 2025 driven by tech
20
Mental health support initiatives adopted by 80% of large UK consultancies in 2023
Interpretation
Trends, Challenges, And Future Outlook Interpretation
With 68% of UK consulting firms reporting increased AI adoption demand in 2024 and regulatory compliance challenges affecting 62% of projects in 2023, the future outlook points to consulting increasingly needing to deliver AI driven solutions while navigating a growing compliance burden.
report visual · Projection
UK consulting industry growth momentum
UK consulting shows continued expansion, with growth highlighted across recent years and near-term forecasts.
4.2 Percent
Start
+6.99%
CAGR · 6y
6.3 Percent
Projected
20232029
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Aisha Okonkwo. (2026, February 13). Uk Consulting Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/uk-consulting-industry-statistics
MLA
Aisha Okonkwo. "Uk Consulting Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/uk-consulting-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Aisha Okonkwo. 2026. "Uk Consulting Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/uk-consulting-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
36 datasets cited across this report