Standing view · business · Dumfries and Galloway
improving, held with established confidence, formed on 31 August 2026 from movements in 2026-06.
Business deaths in Dumfries and Galloway rose to 125 in the first quarter of 2025, fell to 90 in the second, then rose to 130 in the second quarter of 2026. Business births fell to 85 in the fourth quarter of 2025 before rising to 130 in the second quarter of 2026, level with closures in that quarter. Both measures ended the period at the same figure, and each changed direction twice, so the net direction of the business base is not established by these figures.
A view is formed only where the evidence names a figure you can check. Each movement listed as a reason had to be large enough to matter and distinctive in at least one way — unusual against this area's own history, unusual against comparable areas, or sustained over several periods. A movement shared with peers counts for less, because it says something about the country rather than about Dumfries and Galloway. Where no figure supports a direction we hold no view rather than a hedged one.
| Measure | Period | Direction |
|---|---|---|
| Business deaths | 2025-03 | deteriorating |
| Business deaths | 2025-06 | improving |
| Business births | 2025-12 | deteriorating |
| Business births | 2026-06 | improving |
| Business deaths | 2026-06 | deteriorating |