Insee Première · February 2021 · n° 1837

A new record for business births in 2020 despite the health crisis

In 2020, the total number of business births in France reached a record level, with 848,200 births, representing an increase of 4% compared to 2019, despite the health crisis linked to the COVID-19 pandemic. The increase was again driven by registrations of sole proprietorships under the micro-entrepreneur scheme (9%), while births of conventional sole proprietorships decreased (-13%). Company births remained stable.

The sectors that made the largest contribution to growth were transport and storage activities (+22%), trade (+9%) and real estate activities (+10%). Conversely, the number of births decreased in professional, scientific and technical activities (-3%), education (-8%) and other household services (-1%).

Business births increased in the majority of regions, with the exception of Corsica and Martinique.

Excluding micro-entrepreneurs, only 7% of enterprises have employees as soon as they are established, at which point, they have, on average, three employees.

The average age of those setting up a sole proprietorship in 2020 was 36. Of these, four out of ten were women.