Business statistics
Startup Statistics 2026
This page collects current figures on new business formation, startup survival, small business ownership and venture funding, each linked to the agency, foundation or data provider that published it. Most figures cover the US in 2025 and 2026, with a final section on Europe. Use the sections to compare how many businesses start, how many last, and where startup capital goes.
By the Mojolin research desk · Updated November 2, 2026 · Next review by December 17, 2026
53 of 53 source quotes re-checked against the original pages on November 3, 2026
- Figures
- 53
- Primary sources
- 14
- Official or research
- 68%
- Charts
- 5
Key takeaways
- 534,947US business applications totaled 534,947 in September 2026 on a seasonally adjusted basis, up 0.5% from August.U.S. Census Bureau
- 47.2%Only 47.2% of US establishments that opened in the year to March 2021 were still operating five years later.U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- 82.3%82.3% of US small businesses, or 29.8 million firms, have no employees, while 17.7% have paid staff.U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of Advocacy
- $679BStartups worldwide raised $679 billion in venture funding in the first three quarters of 2026, the highest total for that period in any year.Crunchbase News
- 64%AI startups raised $102 billion in Q3 2026, 64% of all global venture capital.Crunchbase News
- 16%North American startup deal counts fell 16% year over year in Q3 2026 even as funding rose 50% to $92 billion.Crunchbase News
Research overview
What the numbers say
Americans keep starting businesses at a high rate. The Census Bureau counted 534,947 business applications in September 2026, and Kauffman found that 0.36% of US adults became new entrepreneurs each month in 2025, above pre-pandemic levels. Most of these are very small ventures: only 35,786 of September's applications listed planned wages, and the Census Bureau projects about 29,000 will become employers within a year. That fits the SBA's count of 36.2 million small businesses, 82.3% of which have no employees.
Survival rates have barely moved in three decades. BLS data show 78.9% of establishments that opened in the year to March 2025 were still open a year later, 47.2% of the 2021 cohort reached five years, and 34.2% of the 2016 cohort reached ten. The SBA's 1994 to 2022 averages tell the same story: 67.7% survive two years and 49.2% survive five. A business that clears year five is in a much stronger position, since 69.5% of those firms go on to reach year ten.
Venture capital looks very different from the broader startup economy. Crunchbase tracked $679 billion in global venture funding in the first three quarters of 2026, and PitchBook-NVCA put US deal value at $515.8 billion, 44% above the 2021 full-year record. The money is concentrated: 27 companies raised rounds of $1 billion or more in Q3, AI took 64% of global dollars, and North American deal counts fell 16% year over year. First-time venture funds are on pace for their lowest count in a decade.
For the typical small firm, money and costs are the daily concern. In the Fed's 2025 Small Business Credit Survey, 22% of financing applicants received nothing, and online lenders are taking a growing share of applications. AI is spreading quickly, with 46% of small employer firms reporting some use. In Europe, the enterprise birth rate was 10.4% in 2024 and venture funding reached $25 billion in Q3 2026, still far below the US quarterly total.
01
New business applications and formations in the US
Chart
US business applications by industry, September 2026
Seasonally adjusted applications for an Employer Identification Number, eight largest industries.
Source U.S. Census Bureau, Business Formation Statistics, September 2026 (press release PDF)
View data table
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| Retail trade | 110,048 |
| Professional services | 78,937 |
| Construction | 48,078 |
| Other services | 42,149 |
| Administrative and support | 38,030 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 34,792 |
| Health care and social assistance | 32,198 |
| Accommodation and food services | 26,600 |
- 1534,947534,947
US business applications totaled 534,947 in September 2026 on a seasonally adjusted basis, up 0.5% from August.
OfficialU.S. Census BureauBusiness Formation Statistics, September 2026Oct 2026
- 2147,331147,331
High-propensity applications, the filings most likely to become businesses with a payroll, numbered 147,331 in September 2026.
OfficialU.S. Census BureauBusiness Formation Statistics, September 2026 (press release PDF)Oct 2026
- 335,78635,786
Only 35,786 US business applications in September 2026 listed planned wages, about 7% of all applications that month.
OfficialU.S. Census BureauBusiness Formation Statistics, September 2026 (press release PDF)Oct 2026
- 429,02229,022
The Census Bureau projects that 29,022 new employer startups will form within four quarters from applications filed in September 2026.
OfficialU.S. Census BureauBusiness Formation Statistics, September 2026Oct 2026
- 5235,028235,028
The South generated 235,028 business applications in September 2026, the most of any US region and about 44% of the national total.
OfficialU.S. Census BureauBusiness Formation Statistics, September 2026 (press release PDF)Oct 2026
- 6110,048110,048
Retail trade led all industries with 110,048 business applications in September 2026, up 4.7% from August.
OfficialU.S. Census BureauBusiness Formation Statistics, September 2026 (press release PDF)Oct 2026
What these figures suggest
Americans filed about 535,000 applications for new business tax IDs in September 2026 alone, a pace that has stayed far above pre-2020 levels. Only a minority of those filings look like future employers: about 147,000 were high-propensity applications and about 36,000 listed planned wages. The Census Bureau projects that roughly 29,000 of September's applications will turn into businesses with payroll within a year, so the headline application count overstates how many job-creating firms will appear.
02
How many new businesses survive
Chart
Share of US establishments opened in 2015 to 2016 still operating, by year
Private-sector establishments that opened in the year ended March 2016, share surviving each March.
Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Business Employment Dynamics, Table 7: Survival of private sector establishments by opening year
View data table
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| Mar 2016 | 100% |
| 2017 | 79.6% |
| 2018 | 68.8% |
| 2019 | 61.2% |
| 2020 | 55% |
| 2021 | 50.7% |
| 2022 | 47.4% |
| 2023 | 43.3% |
| 2024 | 39.9% |
| 2025 | 36.8% |
| 2026 | 34.2% |
Chart
Average survival rate of new US employer establishments, 1994 to 2022
SBA Office of Advocacy averages of BLS Business Employment Dynamics data.
Source U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of Advocacy, Frequently Asked Questions About Small Business, February 2026
View data table
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| 2 years | 67.7% |
| 5 years | 49.2% |
| 10 years | 33.9% |
| 15 years | 25.5% |
- 778.9%78.9%
Of the 976,437 private establishments that opened in the year to March 2025, 78.9% were still operating one year later.
OfficialU.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsBusiness Employment Dynamics, Table 7: Survival of private sector establishments by opening yearOct 2026
- 866.6%66.6%
Of US establishments born in the year to March 2024, 66.6% were still open two years later in March 2026.
OfficialU.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsBusiness Employment Dynamics, Table 7: Survival of private sector establishments by opening yearOct 2026
- 947.2%47.2%
Only 47.2% of US establishments that opened in the year to March 2021 were still operating five years later.
OfficialU.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsBusiness Employment Dynamics, Table 7: Survival of private sector establishments by opening yearOct 2026
- 1034.2%34.2%
Of the establishments that opened in the year to March 2016, 34.2% survived to March 2026, a ten-year survival rate of about one in three.
OfficialU.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsBusiness Employment Dynamics, Table 7: Survival of private sector establishments by opening yearOct 2026
- 1112.0%12.0%
Just 12.0% of US establishments that opened in the year to March 1994 were still in business 32 years later.
OfficialU.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsBusiness Employment Dynamics, Table 7: Survival of private sector establishments by opening yearOct 2026
- 1267.7%67.7%
On average from 1994 to 2022, 67.7% of new US employer establishments survived at least two years.
OfficialU.S. Small Business Administration, Office of AdvocacyFrequently Asked Questions About Small Business, February 2026Feb 2026
- 1349.2%49.2%
The average five-year survival rate for new US employer establishments from 1994 to 2022 was 49.2%, and the ten-year rate was 33.9%.
OfficialU.S. Small Business Administration, Office of AdvocacyFrequently Asked Questions About Small Business, February 2026Feb 2026
- 1469.5%69.5%
Among US establishments that reach five years, 69.5% go on to reach ten years.
OfficialU.S. Small Business Administration, Office of AdvocacyFrequently Asked Questions About Small Business, February 2026Feb 2026
- 1577.9%77.9%
The Kauffman startup early survival rate, the share of new employer firms that survive their first year, was 77.9% in 2025.
ResearchEwing Marion Kauffman FoundationNational Report on Early-Stage Entrepreneurship in the United States (2025)May 2026
What these figures suggest
BLS establishment data show the classic survival curve: roughly one in five new establishments closes in its first year, about half are gone after five years, and about a third remain after ten. The SBA's long-run averages since 1994 match that pattern closely. Survival odds improve with age, so a business that makes it to year five has much better chances of reaching year ten than a brand new one does.
03
Business births, deaths and startup jobs
- 16323,000323,000
There were 323,000 establishment births in the US in the first quarter of 2026, accounting for 949,000 jobs.
OfficialU.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsBusiness Employment Dynamics, First Quarter 2026Oct 2026
- 17310,000310,000
In the second quarter of 2025, the latest period with data, 310,000 US establishments closed, taking 923,000 jobs with them.
OfficialU.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsBusiness Employment Dynamics, First Quarter 2026Oct 2026
- 181.5 million1.5 million
Opening establishments created 1.5 million jobs in the US in the first quarter of 2026, compared with 5.9 million at expanding establishments.
OfficialU.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsBusiness Employment Dynamics, First Quarter 2026Oct 2026
- 191.3 million1.3 million
About 1.3 million US business establishments opened for the first time in 2023, while about 1.2 million closed permanently.
OfficialU.S. Small Business Administration, Office of AdvocacyFrequently Asked Questions About Small Business, February 2026Feb 2026
- 2161%61%
Small businesses accounted for 61% of US net new job creation between 1995 and 2024.
OfficialU.S. Small Business Administration, Office of AdvocacyFrequently Asked Questions About Small Business, February 2026Feb 2026
- 220.36%0.36%
An average of 360 out of every 100,000 US adults became new entrepreneurs each month in 2025, a rate of 0.36%.
ResearchEwing Marion Kauffman FoundationNational Report on Early-Stage Entrepreneurship in the United States (2025)May 2026
- 235.35.3
US startups created 5.3 jobs per 1,000 people in their first year in 2025, unchanged from 2024.
ResearchEwing Marion Kauffman FoundationNational Report on Early-Stage Entrepreneurship in the United States (2025)May 2026
What these figures suggest
New establishments open at a pace of more than 300,000 a quarter in the US, and a similar number close, so the stock of businesses churns constantly. Openings still matter for jobs: they added about 1.5 million jobs in the first quarter of 2026, and the SBA credits small businesses with 61% of net new jobs since 1995. Kauffman's data show the rate of new entrepreneurs is above pre-pandemic levels.
04
Who owns small businesses
- 2436,207,13036,207,130
There are 36,207,130 small businesses in the US, defined as independent firms with fewer than 500 employees.
OfficialU.S. Small Business Administration, Office of AdvocacyFrequently Asked Questions About Small Business, February 2026Feb 2026
- 2582.3%82.3%
82.3% of US small businesses, or 29.8 million firms, have no employees, while 17.7% have paid staff.
OfficialU.S. Small Business Administration, Office of AdvocacyFrequently Asked Questions About Small Business, February 2026Feb 2026
- 2645.9%45.9%
US small businesses employ 62.3 million people, 45.9% of private sector workers.
OfficialU.S. Small Business Administration, Office of AdvocacyFrequently Asked Questions About Small Business 2026Feb 2026
- 2740.4%40.4%
Women owned 14 million US businesses in 2022, 40.4% of all classifiable businesses.
OfficialU.S. Small Business Administration, Office of AdvocacyFrequently Asked Questions About Small Business, February 2026Feb 2026
- 2826.1%26.1%
About one in four US employer firms (26.1%) were family-owned in 2022.
OfficialU.S. Small Business Administration, Office of AdvocacyFrequently Asked Questions About Small Business, February 2026Feb 2026
- 2983.3%83.3%
83.3% of new US entrepreneurs in 2025 started their business out of opportunity rather than necessity, up from 69.8% in 2020.
ResearchEwing Marion Kauffman FoundationNational Report on Early-Stage Entrepreneurship in the United States (2025)May 2026
What these figures suggest
Most US businesses are tiny: more than four in five have no employees at all, and the count of these nonemployer firms nearly doubled over 25 years. Women own about 40% of classifiable businesses, and about a quarter of employer firms are family-owned. Most new entrepreneurs say they started out of opportunity rather than necessity, though that share has not fully recovered from its 2020 low.
05
Venture capital funding
Chart
North American startup funding by stage, Q3 2026
Crunchbase data as of Oct. 2, 2026; seed totals tend to rise as late-reported rounds are added.
Source Crunchbase News, Q3 2026 North America startup funding falls as AI and exits lead
View data table
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| Late and growth stage | $66.5B |
| Early stage | $20.6B |
| Seed, angel and pre-seed | $5B |
- 30$159B$159B
Global venture funding totaled $159 billion in Q3 2026, with close to 6,000 startups funded.
IndustryCrunchbase NewsQ3 2026 global startup funding: AI, billion-dollar rounds and exitsOct 2026
- 31$679B$679B
Startups worldwide raised $679 billion in venture funding in the first three quarters of 2026, the highest total for that period in any year.
IndustryCrunchbase NewsQ3 2026 global startup funding: AI, billion-dollar rounds and exitsOct 2026
- 3253%53%
Global venture funding in Q3 2026 was up 53% from Q3 2025 but down 25% from Q2 2026.
IndustryCrunchbase NewsQ3 2026 global startup funding: AI, billion-dollar rounds and exitsOct 2026
- 332727
A record 27 companies raised rounds of $1 billion or more in Q3 2026, up from 16 in Q2 and 14 in Q1.
IndustryCrunchbase NewsQ3 2026 global startup funding: AI, billion-dollar rounds and exitsOct 2026
- 3464%64%
AI startups raised $102 billion in Q3 2026, 64% of all global venture capital.
IndustryCrunchbase NewsQ3 2026 global startup funding: AI, billion-dollar rounds and exitsOct 2026
- 3557%57%
US startups raised $91 billion in Q3 2026, around 57% of global venture funding.
IndustryCrunchbase NewsQ3 2026 global startup funding: AI, billion-dollar rounds and exitsOct 2026
- 36$13B$13B
Global seed funding totaled $13 billion in Q3 2026, and $2.6 billion of it went to seed rounds of $100 million or more.
IndustryCrunchbase NewsQ3 2026 global startup funding: AI, billion-dollar rounds and exitsOct 2026
- 37$515.8B$515.8B
US venture deal value reached $515.8 billion through Q3 2026, about 44% above the previous full-year record set in 2021.
IndustryNVCA and PitchBookPitchBook-NVCA Venture Monitor, Q3 2026Oct 2026
- 38$98.4B$98.4B
US startups raised $98.4 billion across an estimated 5,012 venture deals in Q3 2026.
IndustryNVCA and PitchBookPitchBook-NVCA Venture Monitor, Q3 2026Oct 2026
- 3982.7%82.7%
AI companies accounted for 82.7% of US venture deal value through September 2026, the highest share in PitchBook-NVCA's dataset.
IndustryNVCA and PitchBookPitchBook-NVCA Venture Monitor, Q3 2026Oct 2026
What these figures suggest
Venture funding in 2026 is at record levels by dollar value, but a few very large AI rounds account for much of it. Crunchbase counted $679 billion globally in the first three quarters, and PitchBook-NVCA put US deal value at $515.8 billion through Q3, already 44% above the full-year record from 2021. AI took 64% of global venture dollars in Q3 by Crunchbase's count and 82.7% of US deal value year to date by PitchBook's. Totals differ between trackers because their definitions and coverage differ.
06
Deal counts, fund managers and exits
- 4016%16%
North American startup deal counts fell 16% year over year in Q3 2026 even as funding rose 50% to $92 billion.
IndustryCrunchbase NewsQ3 2026 in charts: funding amounts vs. round countsOct 2026
- 41$108.5B$108.5B
US venture funds raised $108.5 billion through Q3 2026, and funds of $500 million or more took 78.1% of that capital.
IndustryNVCA and PitchBookPitchBook-NVCA Venture Monitor, Q3 2026Oct 2026
- 428181
Only 81 first-time US venture funds closed through Q3 2026, putting the year on pace for the lowest count in a decade.
IndustryNVCA and PitchBookPitchBook-NVCA Venture Monitor, Q3 2026Oct 2026
- 43992992
992 active US unicorns held a combined valuation of $5.7 trillion in Q3 2026, while just 18 companies went public.
IndustryNVCA and PitchBookPitchBook-NVCA Venture Monitor, Q3 2026Oct 2026
- 441717
17 venture-backed North American companies went public on major US and Canadian exchanges in Q3 2026, raising just under $4 billion combined.
IndustryCrunchbase NewsQ3 2026 North America startup funding falls as AI and exits leadOct 2026
What these figures suggest
The record dollar totals hide a thinner market for typical startups. North American deal counts fell to their lowest quarterly level since 2023, first-time venture funds are on pace for their lowest count in a decade, and only 18 US companies went public in Q3. With nearly 1,000 unicorns still private, investors are waiting on large IPOs to return capital.
07
Small business financing and AI use
- 4522%22%
22% of small employer firms that applied for financing in 2025 received none of the amount they sought, while 42% got the full amount.
OfficialFederal Reserve Banks2026 Report on Employer Firms: Findings from the 2025 Small Business Credit Survey2026
- 4629%29%
The share of small business loan applicants seeking financing from online fintech lenders rose from 17% in the 2020 survey to 29% in 2025.
OfficialFederal Reserve Banks2026 Report on Employer Firms: Findings from the 2025 Small Business Credit Survey2026
- 4746%46%
46% of small employer firms said their business or employees used AI in 2025, and another 15% planned to start within 12 months.
OfficialFederal Reserve Banks2026 Report on Employer Firms: Findings from the 2025 Small Business Credit Survey2026
What these figures suggest
Most small employer firms rely on outside financing, but approval is far from automatic: in the Fed's 2025 survey more than one in five applicants received none of the money they sought. Online lenders are gaining share, and borrowers there report more surprises on cost. AI use is now common among small firms, with nearly half reporting some use.
08
Startups and new businesses in Europe
Chart
European startup funding by country, Q3 2026
Crunchbase data as of Oct. 5, 2026.
Source Crunchbase News, Q3 2026: Europe posts strong quarter led by AI, UK, Germany and France
View data table
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom | $7.5B |
| Germany | $5B |
| France | $4.8B |
| Sweden | $1.5B |
| Netherlands | $1.4B |
| Spain | $1.2B |
- 4810.4%10.4%
3.5 million of the EU's 34 million active enterprises in 2024 were created that year, an enterprise birth rate of 10.4%.
OfficialEurostatBusiness demography statistics (Statistics Explained)2026
- 4917.5%17.5%
EU enterprise birth rates in 2024 ranged from 6.3% in Austria to 17.5% in Lithuania.
OfficialEurostatBusiness demography statistics (Statistics Explained)2026
- 5072%72%
EU enterprises born in 2019 that survived to 2024 employed 72% more people than in their first year.
OfficialEurostatBusiness demography statistics (Statistics Explained)2026
- 5110.0%10.0%
High-growth enterprises made up 10.0% of EU firms with at least 10 employees in 2024 and employed 14.1 million people.
OfficialEurostatBusiness demography statistics (Statistics Explained)2026
- 52$25B$25B
European startups raised $25 billion in Q3 2026, up 77% from $14 billion a year earlier.
IndustryCrunchbase NewsQ3 2026: Europe posts strong quarter led by AI, UK, Germany and FranceOct 2026
- 53$7.5B$7.5B
The UK led European startup funding in Q3 2026 with $7.5 billion, ahead of Germany at $5 billion and France at $4.8 billion.
IndustryCrunchbase NewsQ3 2026: Europe posts strong quarter led by AI, UK, Germany and FranceOct 2026
What these figures suggest
About one in ten active EU enterprises in 2024 was created that year, though birth rates range from about 6% in Austria to 17.5% in Lithuania. Surviving young firms grow: five-year-old enterprises employed 72% more people than when they started. European venture funding had its strongest quarter in four years in Q3 2026, still small next to the US total of $91 billion.
About these figures
Figures come from US and EU statistical agencies (Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Eurostat), the SBA Office of Advocacy, the Kauffman Foundation, the Federal Reserve Banks' Small Business Credit Survey and two venture data providers (Crunchbase and PitchBook-NVCA), and every quote was checked against the publisher's page. Business applications are not the same as startups with employees, BLS survival data track establishments rather than firms, and Crunchbase and PitchBook use different deal definitions, so compare trends rather than exact levels across sources. Monthly Census figures are seasonally adjusted and revised each year, and recent seed funding totals tend to rise as late-reported rounds are added.
Every figure was taken from the publisher's own page, together with the sentence it appears in, and that sentence is re-checked against the source before each update. Where a survey covers a specific group, the figure says so. Read the methodology. Spotted a problem? Email editorial@mojolin.com.
Frequently asked questions
+How many new businesses start each year in the US?
Business applications run at more than 500,000 a month: the Census Bureau counted 534,947 in September 2026 alone. Far fewer become employers. The SBA reports that about 1.3 million business establishments opened for the first time in 2023, and BLS counted 323,000 establishment births in the first quarter of 2026.
+What percentage of startups fail?
About 21% of new US establishments close in their first year: BLS data show 78.9% of establishments opened in the year to March 2025 were still operating a year later. Only 47.2% of the 2021 cohort survived five years, and 34.2% of establishments that opened in 2015 to 2016 were still open ten years later.
+How much venture capital did startups raise in 2026?
Crunchbase counted $679 billion in global venture funding in the first three quarters of 2026, the highest total for that period in any year. PitchBook-NVCA put US deal value at $515.8 billion through Q3, about 44% above the previous full-year record set in 2021.
+How much startup funding goes to AI?
AI startups raised $102 billion in Q3 2026, 64% of global venture capital, according to Crunchbase. PitchBook-NVCA found AI companies accounted for 82.7% of US venture deal value through September 2026, the highest share in its dataset.
+How many small businesses are there in the US?
The SBA Office of Advocacy counts 36,207,130 small businesses, defined as firms with fewer than 500 employees. 82.3% of them have no employees, and small businesses employ 62.3 million people, 45.9% of private sector workers.
+Is it getting easier or harder for startups to raise money?
Dollar totals are at record levels, but they are concentrated in a few large rounds. A record 27 companies raised $1 billion or more in Q3 2026, while North American deal counts fell 16% year over year to the lowest quarterly total since 2023.
Sources
14 primary sources, by publisher
- 01Industry Crunchbase News. Q3 2026 global startup funding: AI, billion-dollar rounds and exits (Oct 2026)
- 02Industry Crunchbase News. Q3 2026 in charts: funding amounts vs. round counts (Oct 2026)
- 03Industry Crunchbase News. Q3 2026 North America startup funding falls as AI and exits lead (Oct 2026)
- 04Industry Crunchbase News. Q3 2026: Europe posts strong quarter led by AI, UK, Germany and France (Oct 2026)
- 05Official Eurostat. Business demography statistics (Statistics Explained) (2026)
- 06Research Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. National Report on Early-Stage Entrepreneurship in the United States (2025) (May 2026)
- 07Official Federal Reserve Banks. 2026 Report on Employer Firms: Findings from the 2025 Small Business Credit Survey (2026)
- 08Industry NVCA and PitchBook. PitchBook-NVCA Venture Monitor, Q3 2026 (Oct 2026)
- 09Official U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Business Employment Dynamics, First Quarter 2026 (Oct 2026)
- 10Official U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Business Employment Dynamics, Table 7: Survival of private sector establishments by opening year (Oct 2026)
- 11Official U.S. Census Bureau. Business Formation Statistics, September 2026 (Oct 2026)
- 12Official U.S. Census Bureau. Business Formation Statistics, September 2026 (press release PDF) (Oct 2026)
- 13Official U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of Advocacy. Frequently Asked Questions About Small Business 2026 (Feb 2026)
- 14Official U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of Advocacy. Frequently Asked Questions About Small Business, February 2026 (Feb 2026)