Business demography statistics

Data from October 2026

Planned update: 1 October 2027

Highlights

In 2024, the EU's business economy was made up of 34 million active enterprises, out of which 10.4% (3.5 million) were created that year.

In 2024, 3.7 million jobs were created from 3.5 million newly born enterprises in the EU.

thumb|centre|700px|Source: Eurostat [https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/bookmark/a76f146f-7fb9-469e-8874-e5d3bda25e91?lang=en&createdAt=2026-09-18T15:45:43Z (bd_size)]|alt= Vertical bar chart showing percentage enterprise birth rates and death rates in the business economy in the EU and individual EU Member States and 2 EFTA countries: Iceland and Norway. Each country has two columns comparing the birth and death rates.

This article presents statistical data on the business demography in the European Union (EU). Business demography (BD) statistics provide information on the dynamics of the business economy (see the glossary for the economic activities covered), including the number of active enterprises, birth rates, survival rates, high growth enterprises and related aspects.

General overview

In 2024, the EU's business economy was made up of 34 million active enterprises.

The largest active enterprise population was registered in France (5.6 million) and Italy (4.6 million), followed by Spain (3.6 million) and Germany (3.2 million). As in previous years, the services sector was dominant in every country, as measured by the highest proportion of active enterprises.

In 2024, 3.5 million newly born enterprises created about 3.7 million jobs in the EU.

Enterprises in 'Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles', 'Professional, scientific and technical activities', 'Construction', ‘Accommodation and food service activities’, and 'Administrative and support service activities' contributed most to the number of newly born enterprises in the business economy and the jobs created. Together they comprised almost half of the enterprise births and their employment.

Active enterprises in the business economy

In 2024, at EU level, services accounted for 80.8% of all enterprises active in the business economy and employed 71.3% of the total number of people employed (see Figures 1 and 2).

Figure 1

Services accounted for between 65.8% of the number of all enterprises in the business economy in Slovakia and 87.7% of the total in Luxembourg. In terms of its contribution to employment, the services sector accounted for 58.0% of the workforce in Czechia, while the Netherlands had the highest share at 83.6%.

Figure 2

By contrast, only 7.3% of active enterprises in the EU were found in industry, even though these enterprises provided work for more than 33.5 million people (20.2% of the total employment in the business economy).

The average size of industrial enterprises (as measured in terms of the number of people employed) was considerably higher in industry than for services. Indeed, industrial enterprises employed 13 people on average across the 27 EU countries, compared with an average of 4 people for services. The average number of people employed in construction was the lowest, with 3 people per enterprise.

Birth and death rates

In 2024, the enterprise birth rate in the EU stood at 10.4%, while the preliminary enterprise death rate was 9.2%.

Looking at birth rates in the EU, the number of newly born enterprises as a proportion of the total number of active enterprises ranged from 6.3% in Austria to 17.5% in Lithuania in 2024.

The birth rate was also low in Denmark, Germany, and Italy (each under 8%). At the other end of the scale, high birth rates were recorded in 2024 in Portugal (16.1%) and in Malta and France (each slightly over 14%) - see Figure 3.

Figure 3

Based on provisional data, the lowest enterprise death rates were recorded in Greece (3.9%) and Malta (4.4%). By contrast, the highest rates were observed in Estonia (29.2%), Ireland (16.9%), and Lithuania (15.6%).

According to final data for 2023, the enterprise death rate in the EU was 8.1%. The lowest rate was again recorded in Greece (3.2%), followed by Belgium and Netherlands (both slightly below 5%), while the highest was registered in Lithuania and Portugal (both 12.6%).

In most EU countries, the number of enterprise births in 2024 exceeded the number of enterprise deaths, based on final data for births and provisional data for deaths. The opposite was observed in Bulgaria, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Ireland, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia, where enterprise deaths outnumbered enterprise births. In comparison, based on final data for 2023, Denmark was the only country in which enterprise deaths slightly exceeded enterprise births.

The effect of enterprises' birth on the labour market is an important indicator for the potential for job creation. Figure 4 shows the share of newly born enterprises in total employment of active enterprises, in terms of the number of people employed.

In the total business economy in 2024, the employment share ranges from 1.0% in Luxembourg to 5.7% in Portugal. In addition, relatively low shares were recorded in Germany, Finland, Denmark, and Austria (between 1.1 % and 1.3%), while high shares were recorded in Portugal, Greece, Estonia, and Slovakia (between 5.7% and 4.3%).

Figure 4

Enterprise survivals

Enterprises created between 2019 and 2023 and still active in 2024 (survived enterprises) accounted for 29% of all active enterprises in the business economy.

Surviving enterprises employed more people in 2024 than in their year of birth:

5-year-old enterprises employed 72% more people in 2024 compared with 2019,
3-year-old enterprises employed 64% more people in 2024 compared with 2021,
1-year-old enterprises employed 37% more people in 2024 compared with 2023.

In most economic activities, 5-year-old enterprises had higher employment growth than 3 or 1-year-old enterprises. The exceptions were ‘Manufacturing’ , ‘Transportation and storage’, ‘Accommodation and food service activities’, and ‘Financial and insurance activities’. In these activities, employment growth was lower for 5-year-old enterprises than for 3-year-old enterprises.

The highest employment growth was observed in 5-year-old enterprises, especially in:

'Water supply; sewerage, waste management' (129%),
‘Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply’ (128%),
and 'Administrative and support service activities' (111%) (see Figure 5).

Figure 5

In all these activities, 5-year-old enterprises had a growth rate in employment of over 100%, which means that employment in the fifth year was more than double compared with the year of birth. This can be explained by the fact that 5-year-old enterprises had more years to grow and, if the activity of the enterprises is successful, the enterprise survives and hires more people. In the case of 'Mining and quarrying', the 3-year-old enterprises also had a growth rate higher than 100%, reaching 109%.

High-growth enterprises

In 2024, around 180 200 companies were high-growth enterprises, accounting for 10.0% of all active enterprises with at least 10 employees in the EU business economy. High-growth enterprises employed 14.1 million employees.

In 2024, the share of high-growth enterprises among active enterprises with at least 10 employees varied considerably across the EU countries, from 2.2% in Cyprus to 19.9% in Ireland (see Figure 6).

Figure 6

High-growth enterprises have a noteworthy impact on employment. In 2024, more than 25% of employees in active enterprises with at least 10 employees worked in high-growth enterprises in Malta and Greece, the highest shares in the EU. By contrast, the lowest shares were recorded in Cyprus (4.1%), France (5.7%), and Belgium (7.4%).

The highest shares of high-growth enterprises in the EU were recorded in several service activities in 2024 (Figure 7). 'Arts, entertainment and recreation' had the highest share (15.6%), followed by 'Information and communication' (15.0%), 'Accommodation and food service activities' (14.4%), and 'Administrative and support service activities' (12.2%). Among industrial activities, 'Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply' had the highest share (10.4%).

The lowest shares overall were recorded in in 'Mining and quarrying' and 'Real estate activities' (both 7.3%), followed by ‘Manufacturing’ (7.4%).

Figure 7

Data sources

Eurostat's business demography (BD) statistics provide information on the dynamics of the business economy. They capture how the composition of the enterprise population changes over time. They also show how the economic contribution of the business economy in terms of employment develops across a number of enterprise characteristics. Data comes from the national statistical business registers in the EU, EFTA, and enlargement countries. In practice, most of these national statistical business registers are based on a combination of administrative and statistical sources. Business demography statistics cover, amongst other things, the birth, survival (followed up to 5 years after birth) and death of enterprises within the business population. They report changes in the stock of enterprises within the business economy from one year to the next, reflecting among other things the level of competition, entrepreneurial spirit and the business environment.

Data on enterprise survivals presents information about the life cycle of newly born enterprises and their development over 5 years. The business demography data collection enables the tracking of newly born enterprises over a 5 year period, tracing how many of them have survived during that period. Enterprise survival occurs when an enterprise is active and identifiable both before and after a specific (business) demographic event. The enterprise may be changed in some way, e.g. in terms of economic activity, size, ownership or location, but specifically for survival statistics, all criteria are kept from the year of birth. It is possible to observe such enterprises as there is continuity of the enterprise reference number in the statistical business register.

The growth rate of employment in enterprise survivals represents the ratio between the number of people employed in enterprise survivals and the number of people employed in the same enterprises in the year of birth.

The share of high-growth enterprises is calculated by dividing the number of high-growth enterprises by the number of active enterprises with at least 10 employees. The share of employees is calculated using the corresponding employee numbers.

While the statistics presented in this article are generally analysed at the level of total business economy or NACE sections, business demography statistics are also available at a more detailed level, for example by detailed activity, employee size class, and legal form. The data cover more economic activities, e.g. within services (education; human health and social work activities; arts, entertainment, and recreation) and financial and insurance activities. Regional business demography statistics are available for all EU countries.

Coverage, units and classifications Business demography covers the business economy, which includes industry, construction and many services (NACE Rev.2 sections B to N, P to R as well as divisions S95 and S96). Industry includes sections B to D, construction includes section F, and services include sections G to N and P to R, together with divisions S95 and S96. Business demography statistics do not cover agriculture, forestry and fishing, nor public administration.

Starting with the reference year 2021, business demography statistics are compiled under the legal basis of the EU regulation 2019/2152 on European business statistics and its implementing act, EU regulation 2020/1197 on technical specifications and arrangements.

Context

Business demography is an important subject for policy discussions, as it provides insights into entrepreneurship, business dynamics and job creation, thereby supporting the EU’s objectives of fostering competitiveness, economic growth and quality employment.

Enterprise demography reflects, to some degree, the dynamism of the EU economy through the adaptation of economic structures to changing market conditions. The potential contribution that enterprise creation can make to employment is also one of the most important aspects drawing the attention of policy makers to the subject of enterprise demography. In this context, enterprise creation can be seen as an indicator of competitiveness, as a factor of economic growth and as a vital means of creating jobs.

The European Business Statistics (EBS) Regulation brought several improvements that enhance the data's capacity for analysis of the activity of enterprises in the EU, in particular for high-growth and young high-growth enterprises (also known as gazelles). It also made it mandatory to provide data by regions.

Business demography provides information for births, deaths and survival rates of enterprises, as well as information on related employment data. The two main measures used for employment are the number of people employed and the number of employees.

The demography of the business population is represented by data on:

the active population of enterprises;
their birth;
their survival (followed up to 5 years after birth);
their death.

As well as High growth enterprises play an important role in the contribution to economic growth and the creation of jobs.

Particular attention is paid to the impact that these demographic events have on employment levels. Business demography data can be used to analyse the dynamics and innovation of different markets, such as:

entrepreneurship in terms of the propensity to start a new business, such as analysed in the joint OECD/Eurostat Entrepreneurship Indicators Programme;
how newly-born enterprises can contribute to the creation of jobs.

The birth of new enterprises is often seen as a key determinant of job creation and economic growth. Enterprise births are thought to increase the competitiveness of a country's enterprise population. They can stimulate innovation and facilitate the adoption of new technologies.

Explore further

Database

Business demography (bd)

Thematic section

Publications

Recent Eurostat publications on BD
Key figures on Europe – 2026 edition - see subchapter on Business
Eurostat’s Regional Yearbook – see chapter 8. Business
Recent Eurostat publications on SBS

Methodology

External links

European Commission - Enterprise and Industry - Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) - Promoting Entrepreneurship