Throughout the last year, coworking spaces have remained a driving force in the transformation of work culture across the UK and Ireland. As such, flexible work environments continued to appeal to freelancers, startups, and large organisations alike, particularly as remote and hybrid work models further solidified their role in modern business operations.
To that end, by the close of 2024, the combined flex space inventory in the UK and Ireland had surpassed 3,300 spaces, reflecting the increasing preference for cost-effective and agile workspace solutions. Furthermore, this vast supply also cements the region’s position as one of the global trailblazers in the adoption of coworking spaces as pivotal elements of 21st-century work culture.
Our quarterly report explores the distribution of flexible workspaces and key operators, as well as pricing trends, for a comprehensive overview of this thriving sector.
Leading Markets by Number of Coworking Spaces
UK & Ireland’s Combined Inventory Holds Steady at 3,326 Spaces
The UK maintains a strong foothold in the global coworking scene with 3,090 spaces, while Ireland accounts for 236 flex spaces as of Q4 2024.
Accounting for more than one-quarter of the UK’s total stock, Greater London inches close to the 900 mark (895 coworking spaces to be precise), the majority of which are concentrated in Central London’s business districts. And, while the capital’s inventory far surpasses other cities, Manchester firmly holds second place with 78 spaces to solidify its reputation as the North’s flex workspace epicenter.
Meanwhile, Birmingham and Bristol follow closely with 55 and 53 spaces, respectively, highlighting demand in cities with growing business ecosystems.
Outside England, Edinburgh leads Scotland with 46 flexible workspaces, while Glasgow boasts 39 to secure their well-earned places in the national top 10. In Wales, Cardiff holds its place as a prominent hub with 33 spaces. Not to be outdone, Northern Ireland’s coworking activity remains concentrated in Belfast, offering 27 locations at the end of the year.
Meanwhile, Dublin continues to dominate Ireland’s coworking market with 120 spaces — representing more than half of the country’s stock and reinforcing its position as a leading Irish business and innovation hub.
Coworking Subscription Prices
Brighton and Hove Top UK Open Workspace & Dedicated Desk Rates; Desks at a Premium in Ireland
Pricing for coworking subscriptions reflects considerable variation across the region. In the UK, the median cost for a dedicated desk stands at £210 per month, while open workspaces are priced at £156. Notably, virtual office memberships and meeting rooms are more affordable options with median rates of £50 per month and £26 per hour, respectively.
Brighton and Hove top the UK’s dedicated desk and open workspace price charts, with £300 and £220, respectively — driven by robust demand and limited supply in this sought-after coastal location.
Greater London, while outpriced for desks, remains the priciest city when it comes to virtual office subscriptions and meeting rooms, coming in at £100 per month and £48 per hour, respectively.
Over in Ireland, the country-level median monthly price for dedicated desks is €277 and open workspaces stand at €200 — translating into a 10% and 7.5% price premium, respectively. However, meeting rooms are more competitively priced, aligning with the UK median of €30 per hour, whereas virtual offices show the opposite trend as the €50 median represents a roughly 16% discount compared to UK-level prices. Here, it’s important to remember that a significantly higher share of the national stock is concentrated in the capital, pulling the median price upward.
Turning to the capital, Dublin’s median prices match the national level when it comes to open workspaces and virtual offices. On the other hand, dedicated desks come in at €295 and meeting rooms reach €35.
Distribution of Top Operators Within Largest Coworking Markets
Regus Casts Wide Net in Both UK & Ireland; Other Top Players Remain Hyper-Focused on Key Markets
The UK scene continues to be shaped by a mix of international giants and domestic operators. In Q4 2024, Regus, Fora, Workspace, Spaces, and The Boutique Workplace Company ranked as the top five operators within the 15 largest coworking markets, collectively managing more than 400 spaces throughout the UK.
Regus remains the market leader with more than 200 coworking spaces across the UK — 78 of which are located in the top 15 flex space markets — and its strategic focus on a diverse range of locations ensures its national dominance. Next, Fora ranks second with 65 spaces, 63 of which are concentrated in key markets, particularly London. Workspace Group follows in third place with a similar focus on urban hubs, operating 57 of its 60 UK locations in London.
Zooming in on Greater London, Fora, Workspace Group, and The Boutique Workplace Company occupy the podium with 61, 57 and 37 spaces, respectively.
In Ireland, Dublin’s coworking market is led by Pembr, Iconic Offices and Regus.
Pembr operates solely within the capital, managing 18 locations. Similarly, Iconic Offices has 14 locations, all within Dublin. Lastly, Regus adopts a broader approach with nine flex spaces in Dublin and six additional locations across Ireland, including Cork and Limerick.
Methodology
- To compile this report, we used proprietary data from CoworkingCafe to determine the number of coworking spaces per market and the leading operators.
- The study relied solely on CoworkingCafe inventory data as of 1 January 2025 and pricing as of 15 January 2025.
- Data was analysed at the city level, with the exception of London (the City of London, plus 32 boroughs), based on built-up area (BUA) definitions as provided by the Office for National Statistics.
Sources:
— Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v.3.0 (contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2022)
— Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency licensed under the Open Government Licence v.3.0 - In terms of pricing, we looked at the national median starting prices per person per month for virtual office, open workspace, and dedicated-desk coworking subscriptions and hourly rates for meeting rooms. Cities with three or fewer coworking spaces were excluded from the analysis.
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