Big Issue vendors earn £3.3 million selling magazine on UK streets
More than 3,300 people now sell Big Issue magazine across the UK, making a collective £3.3 million last year, new figures show.
Launched 35 years ago, Big Issue continues to enable merchants to make money in an increasingly cashless society, with more than 60 percent of merchants now equipped to accept digital payments.
Expanding its reach even further, recruitment company Big Issue Recruit was founded in 2022 and grew in its first three years.
More than 500 candidates sought the service’s support in 2025, with its one-to-one job coaching model successfully preparing two-thirds for employment.
Since 1991, Big Issue has supported more than 108,000 sellers to generate income and invested more than £100 million in more than 500 purpose-built businesses through Big Issue Invest.
A survey to mark the anniversary found that two-thirds of adults believe children growing up today will have worse economic opportunities than their parents.
The survey of 2,100 adults revealed pessimism about the ability of the largest political parties to reduce rising unemployment levels.
Two in five people polled said they did not know which party was best placed to reduce the number of unemployed people.
Paul Cheal, CEO of Big Issue Group, said: “The Big Issue has spent the last 35 years creating opportunities for people excluded from society to change their own lives.
“While our purpose remains, the world around us has changed significantly and the apparent pessimism in this survey clearly demonstrates the need for businesses like us to innovate in our support for the next generation.”
