Business demography, 2020

The majority of enterprise births are micro enterprises

In 2020, 17,306 enterprise births were recorded, which is the fewest after 2012. Compared to 2019, the number of enterprise births went down by 12.4%. Enterprises engaged in accommodation and food service activities and professional, scientific and technical activities contributed the most to the lower number of enterprise births.

As in the previous year, most enterprise births were recorded in service activities (82.3%). 10.1% of enterprise births were recorded in construction and 7.6% in industry. Among enterprise births in service activities, most were recorded in professional, scientific and technical activities (3,674), followed by accommodation and food service activities (1,951) and wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles (1,781).

Enterprise births employed 18,805 persons, 11.8% fewer than in the previous year. The average size of enterprise births was one person employed.

Most enterprise births were without employees (86%). 13.2% of enterprise births employed from 1 to 4 persons and 0.5% employed from 5 to 9 persons. As regards the economic activity, most enterprise births were without employees in arts, entertainment and recreation (98%) and in education (96.4%).

Most enterprise deaths in professional, scientific and technical activities

According to provisional data, 12,251 enterprise deaths were recorded. They employed 12,653 persons. On average, one job was lost per enterprise death. 44.7% of enterprise deaths were recorded in three activities: in professional, scientific and technical activities, in accommodation and food service activities, and in wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles.

One in two enterprise births survived five years

The survival rates of the enterprise births are falling from year to year. 84.2% of enterprises born in 2019 were still operating in 2020. 61.4% of enterprises born in 2017 were operating after three years and 50.5% of enterprises born in 2015 were operating after five years. Enterprise survivals employed more persons than in the year of birth. In enterprise births operating after one year, the number of persons employed increased by 16.8% and after operating five years by 53.9% (from 10,623 to 16.348 in 2020).