Health and life sciences

Statistics on enterprises and employment for health and life sciences

Business sectors
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Defining health and life sciences

Health and life sciences was identified as one of four areas of strategic importance in the North East LEP’s Strategic Economic Plan in 2014. The plan also highlighted existing strengths in clinical research, pharmaceutical innovation and responding to an ageing population. The figures reported on this page are based on standard industrial classification codes.

Number of enterprises

In 2023 there were 275 enterprises in the health and life sciences sector across the North East LEP area. This was 15 more than in 2022.

Of these enterprises 70 were in County Durham and a further 80 were in Newcastle upon Tyne, accounting for over half of the total enterprises in health and life sciences.


Employment

In 2022 there were 8,000 individuals in employment in health and life sciences area across the North East LEP. 2,500 of these individuals were employed in County Durham, with a further 1,750 employed in Northumberland and North Tyneside.

Health and life sciences accounts for around 1 in 100 jobs in the North East LEP, the same proportion as in England excluding London.


Additional data 

Areas of strategic importance

Areas of strategic importance

Advanced manufacturing

Advanced manufacturing

Digital tech

Digital tech

Knowledge intensive business services

Knowledge intensive business services