The study by office provider Virtual HQ was based on 12 months of Companies House data up to July 2026 and ranked Welsh local authorities by the proportion of company founders aged over 60 and under 25.
In the Vale of Glamorgan, 8.8 per cent of new company founders were over 60 – significantly above the UK national average of 5.9 per cent.
This placed the Vale seventh in Wales for older founders, with Carmarthenshire just ahead at 9.1 per cent and Conwy slightly behind at 8.5 per cent.
Andrew Manning, managing director at Virtual HQ, said: “Setting up a limited company has never been quicker or cheaper, and these figures show how many people are now doing it in their early twenties rather than waiting until mid-career.
“For anyone setting up a business it’s important to remember that incorporating puts you on a public register.
“Every director has to provide a service address that anyone can look up, and for a young founder working from a bedroom or a university flat, that means their home address is searchable by customers, suppliers and anyone else who cares to check.”
The Isle of Anglesey topped the Welsh rankings, with 13.7 per cent of new founders aged over 60.
Monmouthshire followed closely at 13.5 per cent, while Ceredigion recorded 12.2 per cent.
Denbighshire stood out for its younger business community, with 9.5 per cent of new founders under 25.
Rhondda Cynon Taf followed at 9.2 per cent, while Cardiff and Wrexham each reported 8.8 per cent.
Blaenau Gwent recorded the lowest proportion of over-60 founders in Wales at just 3.7 per cent, with a median founder age of 37 – two years below the UK median of 39.
