Small business data

Small Business Statistics 2026: 160+ Numbers on Counts, Jobs, Survival, Cash Flow and Risk

By ClauseAudit Research · 166 statistics · 85 sources ·

What are the key small business statistics for 2026?

The SBA Office of Advocacy counts 36,207,130 US small businesses (2022 data), 99.9% of all firms, and 82.3% have no employees. Small firms produced 51% of net job creation from Q3 2020 to Q3 2025. Of establishments opened in the year to March 2020, 51.4% were still operating five years later, and 47% of small employer firms were profitable at the end of 2024.

A small neighborhood shop in morning light, with an owner arranging stock behind the counter and a laptop and paperwork on a wooden table.
Small businesses in the US, latest SBA Office of Advocacy count (2022, U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of Advocacy)
36.2 million
Share of US net job creation from small businesses (Q3 2020 to Q3 2025, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)
51%
US business applications in September 2026, seasonally adjusted (September 2026, U.S. Census Bureau)
534,947
US establishments still operating five years after opening (2020-2025, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)
51.4%
Share of ransomware victims that were small and medium-sized businesses (under 1,000 employees), where victim size was known (2026 DBIR, Verizon Business)
About 96%
Small employer firms operating at a profit (End of 2024 (2025 survey), Federal Reserve Banks (Fed Small Business), via FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis)
47%
Small employer firms citing uneven cash flow as a challenge (2025, Federal Reserve Banks)
50%
US businesses using AI (Census BTOS national rate) (BTOS collection period ending May 3, 2026, U.S. Census Bureau)
19.8%

This page collects more than 160 small business statistics in twelve groups: how many small businesses exist, new business formation, jobs, survival and failure, revenue and profit, financing, cash flow and late payments, contracts and legal disputes, AI adoption, cybersecurity, owner demographics, and small firms outside the US, including India's MSME sector.

Most US figures come from the SBA Office of Advocacy, the Census Bureau, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Federal Reserve Banks' Small Business Credit Survey and the NFIB, with company and industry surveys labeled as such. Every number links to the page it came from, and the data was checked on October 17, 2026.

How Many Small Businesses Are There? US Small Business Count Statistics

Almost every US business is a small business under the SBA's research definition of fewer than 500 employees. These figures show how many there are, how many have staff, and which industries they cluster in.

Figure 1: US small businesses by industry, 2022 (top 8) (millions of small businesses)

Figure 1: US small businesses by industry, 2022 (top 8) (millions of small businesses): Professional, scientific and technical services 4,881,738; Transportation and warehousing 4,089,883; Other services 3,860,519; Construction 3,656,782; Real estate and rental and leasing 3,510,689; Administrative, support and waste management 3,191,552; Health care and social assistance 2,945,484; Retail trade 2,813,437Professional, scientific …4,881,738Transportation and wareho…4,089,883Other services3,860,519Construction3,656,782Real estate and rental an…3,510,689Administrative, support a…3,191,552Health care and social as…2,945,484Retail trade2,813,437
Chart data
LabelValue
Professional, scientific and technical services4,881,738
Transportation and warehousing4,089,883
Other services3,860,519
Construction3,656,782
Real estate and rental and leasing3,510,689
Administrative, support and waste management3,191,552
Health care and social assistance2,945,484
Retail trade2,813,437
Employer plus nonemployer firms with fewer than 500 employees. Census SUSB and Nonemployer Statistics 2022, compiled by SBA Office of Advocacy. Source: U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of Advocacy, 2025 Small Business Profile: United States.
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New Business Formation Statistics: Applications and Startups

Business applications filed with the IRS are the earliest signal of new firms. This section covers monthly and annual Census filings, startup rates and what new founders plan next.

Figure 2: US business applications per year, 2019 to 2025 (million applications)

Figure 2: US business applications per year, 2019 to 20252019: 3,498,990; 2020: 4,356,498; 2021: 5,390,816; 2022: 5,062,563; 2023: 5,469,302; 2024: 5,224,176; 2025: 5,671,8363,498,9904,356,4985,390,8165,062,5635,469,3025,224,1765,671,8362019202020212022202320242025
Chart data
LabelValue (million applications)
20193,498,990
20204,356,498
20215,390,816
20225,062,563
20235,469,302
20245,224,176
20255,671,836
Annual sums of monthly, not seasonally adjusted Census Business Formation Statistics applications (EIN filings), as published by FRED. December 2025 was affected by an IRS online EIN outage. Source: Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, FRED (data: U.S. Census Bureau), Business Applications: Total for All NAICS in the United States (BABATOTALNSAUS), annual sum.
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Small Business Employment and Job Creation Statistics

Small firms hold slightly less than half of private employment but account for most of the churn in hiring and job losses. These numbers cover job creation, current hiring and labor shortages.

Figure 3: Small firms' share of US net job creation across BLS reporting periods (%)

Figure 3: Small firms' share of US net job creation across BLS reporting periods2013–2023: 55%; Q1 2021–Q2 2024: 52.8%; Q3 2020–Q3 2025: 51%55%52.8%51%2013–2023Q1 2021–Q2 …Q3 2020–Q3 …
Chart data
LabelValue (%)
2013–202355%
Q1 2021–Q2 202452.8%
Q3 2020–Q3 202551%
Small firms are firms with 249 or fewer employees (BLS Business Employment Dynamics). Periods come from three separate BLS releases and overlap. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Small businesses contributed 55 percent of the total net job creation from 2013 to 2023 (The Economics Daily); U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Small businesses continue to outpace large businesses in job creation (The Economics Daily); U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Small firms accounted for half of net job creation, third quarter 2020–third quarter 2025 (The Economics Daily).
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Small Business Survival and Failure Rate Statistics

BLS follows each year's cohort of new private-sector establishments over time, which makes it the standard source on survival. This section covers one-, five- and ten-year survival, industry gaps, bankruptcies and comparisons with the UK, EU and Australia.

Figure 4: Share of US establishments opened in 2015 still operating, by year (%)

Figure 4: Share of US establishments opened in 2015 still operating, by year2015: 100; 2016: 79.6; 2017: 69.1; 2018: 61.4; 2019: 55.4; 2020: 50.2; 2021: 46.4; 2022: 43.6; 2023: 40.3; 2024: 37.4; 2025: 34.710079.669.161.455.450.246.443.640.337.434.720152016201720182019202020212022202320242025
Chart data
LabelValue (%)
2015100
201679.6
201769.1
201861.4
201955.4
202050.2
202146.4
202243.6
202340.3
202437.4
202534.7
Establishments opened in the year ended March 2015 (677,876). An establishment exit is not always a failure: closures include sales, mergers, relocations and retirements. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Business Employment Dynamics: Survival of private sector establishments by opening year (Table 7, total private).
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Small Business Revenue and Profitability Statistics

Profit and revenue figures come mostly from the Federal Reserve's Small Business Credit Survey and monthly owner surveys. They show a recovery since 2021 alongside pressure from input costs and tariffs.

Figure 5: Share of small employer firms operating at a profit, by Small Business Credit Survey year (% of employer firms)

Figure 5: Share of small employer firms operating at a profit, by Small Business Credit Survey year2021 survey: 35; 2022 survey: 45; 2023 survey: 47; 2024 survey: 46; 2025 survey: 4735454746472021 survey2022 survey2023 survey2024 survey2025 survey
Chart data
LabelValue (% of employer firms)
2021 survey35
2022 survey45
2023 survey47
2024 survey46
2025 survey47
Each survey asks about profitability at the end of the prior calendar year (the 2025 survey reflects end of 2024). The SBCS is a convenience sample of firms with 1 to 499 employees. Source: Federal Reserve Banks (Fed Small Business), via FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Small Business Credit Survey: Operated at a Profit: Employer Firms (SBCSS7B0V0FRB).
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Small Business Financing and Loan Approval Statistics

Most small employer firms look for some kind of financing each year. These figures cover application rates, approvals by lender type, SBA programs and current loan conditions.

Figure 6: Share of small business credit applicants fully approved, by lender type (2025 survey) (%)

Figure 6: Share of small business credit applicants fully approved, by lender type (2025 survey) (%): Small bank 57%; Finance company 50%; Credit union 44%; Large bank 43%; Online lender 38%; CDFI 27%Small bank57%Finance company50%Credit union44%Large bank43%Online lender38%CDFI27%
Chart data
LabelValue
Small bank57%
Finance company50%
Credit union44%
Large bank43%
Online lender38%
CDFI27%
Loan, line of credit and merchant cash advance applicants at each source, prior 12 months. Federal Reserve Small Business Credit Survey, convenience sample of employer firms (1 to 499 employees). Source: Federal Reserve Banks, Small Business Credit Survey: 2026 Report on Employer Firms.
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Small Business Cash Flow and Late Payment Statistics

Cash flow is one of the most common financial problems small employers report, and slow-paying customers are a large part of it. This section covers payment times, overdue invoices and late-payment data from the US, UK and India.

Figure 7: Top financial challenges for US small employer firms, prior 12 months (% of employer firms)

Figure 7: Top financial challenges for US small employer firms, prior 12 months (% of employer firms): Increased costs of goods, services and/or wages 73; Paying operating expenses 54; Uneven cash flow 50; Weak sales 48; Increased costs associated with tariffs 42; Making payments on debt/interest rates 33; Credit availability 29Increased costs of goods,…73Paying operating expenses54Uneven cash flow50Weak sales48Increased costs associate…42Making payments on debt/i…33Credit availability29
Chart data
LabelValue
Increased costs of goods, services and/or wages73
Paying operating expenses54
Uneven cash flow50
Weak sales48
Increased costs associated with tariffs42
Making payments on debt/interest rates33
Credit availability29
2025 Small Business Credit Survey (fielded Sept-Nov 2025, N=6,500). Respondents could pick several options. Source: Federal Reserve Banks, Small Business Credit Survey: 2026 Report on Employer Firms.
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Small Business Contract, Legal Dispute and Compliance Statistics

Contracts, taxes and regulation take time and money away from running the business. These figures cover compliance burden, arbitration and court caseloads, and how often small businesses face legal problems.

Figure 8: Single most important problem cited by US small business owners, September 2026 (% of owners)

Figure 8: Single most important problem cited by US small business owners, September 2026 (% of owners): Quality or availability of labor 26; Inflation 20; Taxes 11; Poor sales 11; Government regulation 7; Cost of labor 6; Cost or availability of insurance 6; Competition from large businesses 6; Financing and interest rates 3Quality or availability o…26Inflation20Taxes11Poor sales11Government regulation7Cost of labor6Cost or availability of i…6Competition from large bu…6Financing and interest ra…3
Chart data
LabelValue
Quality or availability of labor26
Inflation20
Taxes11
Poor sales11
Government regulation7
Cost of labor6
Cost or availability of insurance6
Competition from large businesses6
Financing and interest rates3
NFIB monthly survey of member owners; 411 usable responses in September 2026. Smaller categories not shown. Source: National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), NFIB Small Business Economic Trends, September 2026.
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Small Business AI and Technology Adoption Statistics

Estimates of AI use vary widely depending on who is asked and how the question is worded. Government surveys sit at the low end and vendor surveys at the high end, so both are shown and labeled.

Figure 9: What small businesses use AI for (share of AI-using employer firms, 2025 survey) (%)

Figure 9: What small businesses use AI for (share of AI-using employer firms, 2025 survey) (%): Writing or marketing 83%; Individual productivity 61%; Planning or analysis 51%; Administrative business functions 38%; Customer service 29%; Process automation 21%; Coding or coding assistance 19%Writing or marketing83%Individual productivity61%Planning or analysis51%Administrative business f…38%Customer service29%Process automation21%Coding or coding assistan…19%
Chart data
LabelValue
Writing or marketing83%
Individual productivity61%
Planning or analysis51%
Administrative business functions38%
Customer service29%
Process automation21%
Coding or coding assistance19%
Respondents could select multiple options. Base: employer firms that use AI (N=2,225). Source: Federal Reserve Banks, Small Business Credit Survey: 2026 Report on Employer Firms.
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Small Business Cybersecurity and Data Breach Statistics

Small firms are frequent targets of ransomware and email fraud, and nearly half of all breaches in Verizon's 2026 DBIR involved a third party such as a vendor or partner. This section covers breach rates, losses and insurance.

Figure 10: Share of breaches involving ransomware, by organization size (Verizon 2025 DBIR data) (% of breaches)

Figure 10: Share of breaches involving ransomware, by organization size (Verizon 2025 DBIR data)Small and medium businesses: 88; All breaches: 44; Large organizations: 39884439Small and m…All breachesLarge organ…
Chart data
LabelValue (% of breaches)
Small and medium businesses88
All breaches44
Large organizations39
2025 DBIR figures. SMBs are organizations with fewer than 1,000 employees. In the 2026 DBIR, ransomware rose to 48% of all breaches (from 44%); the 2025 edition is the latest side-by-side SMB versus large-organization ransomware share we could verify. Source: Verizon Business, 2025 Data Breach Investigations Report: Small- and Medium-Sized Business Snapshot.
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Small Business Owner Demographics: Women, Minority and Veteran-Owned Firms

Who starts businesses is changing, with immigrants and Latino adults starting businesses at the highest monthly rates and Gen Z founders outnumbering Baby Boomers among 2025 startups. These figures come from the Census Bureau, the Kauffman Foundation, Gusto and GEM.

Figure 11: Monthly rate of new entrepreneurs by group, United States, 2025 (% of adults per month)

Figure 11: Monthly rate of new entrepreneurs by group, United States, 2025 (% of adults per month): Immigrants 0.60%; Latino 0.53%; Black 0.45%; Men 0.44%; All adults 0.36%; Non-veterans 0.36%; Asian 0.33%; Native-born 0.30%; White 0.29%; Veterans 0.29%; Women 0.28%; Ages 20 to 34 0.26%Immigrants0.60%Latino0.53%Black0.45%Men0.44%All adults0.36%Non-veterans0.36%Asian0.33%Native-born0.30%White0.29%Veterans0.29%Women0.28%Ages 20 to 340.26%
Chart data
LabelValue
Immigrants0.60%
Latino0.53%
Black0.45%
Men0.44%
All adults0.36%
Non-veterans0.36%
Asian0.33%
Native-born0.30%
White0.29%
Veterans0.29%
Women0.28%
Ages 20 to 340.26%
Share of adults aged 20 to 64 not owning a business who start one the following month (15+ hours a week), from Current Population Survey data. Veteran rows from Table 7. Source: Kauffman Indicators of Entrepreneurship (Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation), 2025 Early-Stage Entrepreneurship National Report (full PDF, demographic tables).
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Global and India MSME Statistics

Outside the US, small and medium-sized enterprises make up the large majority of firms and much of employment. This section covers the EU, UK, Canada, Singapore and India's MSME sector.

Figure 12: Outstanding commercial credit balances in India, individuals plus enterprises (₹ lakh crore)

Figure 12: Outstanding commercial credit balances in India, individuals plus enterprises (₹ lakh crore)Mar 2023: ₹42.0 lakh crore; Mar 2024: ₹50.0 lakh crore; Mar 2025: ₹57.9 lakh crore; Mar 2026: ₹65.8 lakh crore₹42.0 lakh crore₹50.0 lakh crore₹57.9 lakh crore₹65.8 lakh croreMar 2023Mar 2024Mar 2025Mar 2026
Chart data
LabelValue
Mar 2023₹42.0 lakh crore
Mar 2024₹50.0 lakh crore
Mar 2025₹57.9 lakh crore
Mar 2026₹65.8 lakh crore
Combines business-purpose loans to individuals and credit to enterprises with exposure up to ₹100 crore (TransUnion CIBIL bureau data). Methodology revised in this edition; not comparable with earlier MSME Pulse reports. Source: TransUnion CIBIL and SIDBI, MSME Pulse Report, July 2026.
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What the numbers mean for small business owners

The typical US small business is one person. Of the 36,207,130 small businesses counted for 2022, 82.3% had no employees, and only 6,395,635 had a payroll. That makes contracts with customers, suppliers and platforms more important than an employee handbook for most owners, because there is no legal or finance team to catch a bad term.

Survival is the other headline. BLS data shows 77.9% of establishments opened in the year to March 2024 made it through their first year, 51.4% of the 2020 cohort lasted five years, and 34.7% of the 2015 cohort were still open after ten. The odds improve with age: on 1994 to 2022 averages, 69.5% of establishments that reach five years go on to reach ten. The early years are where cost overruns, a lost customer or a bad lease does the most damage, so they are also when terms are worth negotiating hardest.

Cash flow problems often start in the contract

Half of small employer firms (50%) reported uneven cash flow as a financial challenge in the 2025 Small Business Credit Survey, and 54% struggled to cover operating expenses such as payroll and rent. Late customers make it worse. QuickBooks found 59% of US small businesses have invoices overdue by 30 days or more, and Xero data put the average wait to get paid at 29.3 days in the June 2026 quarter, with invoices settled 8.5 days past their due date.

The pressure passes down the chain: 24% of firms with financial challenges made a late payment or skipped a bill themselves. Clear payment terms will not stop every slow payer, but they give you something to enforce. Set a due date in days, add a late fee or interest that your state allows, ask for a deposit on larger jobs, and tie work stoppage rights to unpaid invoices. Check incoming contracts for long payment terms, payment that depends on the customer's own approval, and set-off rights that let them deduct disputed amounts.

Vendors, data and disputes carry risk you can negotiate

Many risks reach small firms through other companies. In Verizon's 2026 DBIR, 48% of breaches involved a third party such as a vendor or partner, and about 96% of ransomware victims with a known size were small and medium-sized businesses. Business email compromise losses reported to the FBI reached $3,046,598,558 in 2025. Software, IT and payment contracts should say who is responsible for a breach, how fast you will be told, and whether the liability cap covers your data.

When disputes happen, the contract decides where they are heard. The median time to an AAA arbitration award on claims up to $100,000 was 5.1 months in 2024, against 31.6 months in U.S. District Court. Arbitration can be faster, but read who pays the fees, where hearings take place and whether you give up class claims. Before signing, look closely at indemnities, limits of liability, automatic renewal and termination terms, since these clauses decide how much a bad year costs.

Check your business contracts before you sign

Most small businesses have no employees, let alone an in-house lawyer, so customer agreements, vendor contracts, leases and software terms often get signed as they arrive. An automated review flags the clauses that drive the risks on this page, such as slow payment terms, broad indemnities and low liability caps, and explains each one in plain English with a suggested change to ask for.

  • Payment terms, due dates, late fees and interest on overdue invoices
  • Payment conditioned on customer approval or acceptance
  • Set-off and withholding rights over disputed amounts
  • Indemnification scope and whether it is mutual
  • Limitation of liability caps and what they exclude
  • Data security, breach notice timing and vendor responsibility
  • Automatic renewal, notice periods and termination rights
  • Arbitration, venue and governing law clauses
  • Personal guarantees attached to leases or credit terms
Check a business contract

Frequently asked questions

How many small businesses are there in the US?

The SBA Office of Advocacy counts 36,207,130 small businesses in the US, based on 2022 Census data. They make up 99.9% of all US firms, and 82.3% of them (29,811,495) have no employees.

What percentage of small businesses fail?

BLS data shows 77.9% of establishments opened in the year to March 2024 survived their first year, so roughly one in five closed. Of those opened in 2020, 51.4% were still operating five years later, and 34.7% of the 2015 cohort lasted ten years.

How many jobs do small businesses create?

Small businesses with fewer than 250 employees accounted for 51% of US net job creation from Q3 2020 to Q3 2025, according to BLS. From 2013 to 2023, firms with 249 or fewer employees added 55% of net new jobs.

What percentage of small businesses are profitable?

In the Federal Reserve's 2025 Small Business Credit Survey, 47% of small employer firms were operating at a profit at the end of 2024, up from 35% in the 2021 survey.

How many new businesses were started in 2025?

Census counts business applications rather than launches: 5,671,836 were filed in the US in 2025, the highest annual total in the series since 2005, though not every application becomes an operating business. In September 2026, 534,947 seasonally adjusted applications were filed.

How long do small businesses wait to get paid?

Xero data shows US small businesses waited an average of 29.3 days to get invoices paid in the June 2026 quarter, and invoices were paid 8.5 days past their due date on average. Half of small employer firms (50%) cite uneven cash flow as a challenge.

How many small businesses use AI?

In the 2025 Small Business Credit Survey, 46% of small employer firms said they or their employees used AI, though only 7% of users had fully integrated it. The Census Bureau's broader national rate for all US businesses was 19.8% in the survey period ending May 3, 2026.

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Small Business Statistics 2026: 160+ Numbers on Counts, Jobs, Survival, Cash Flow and Risk: the numbersStat cardsKey findings: Small Business Statistics 2026: 160+ Numbers on Counts, Jobs, Survival, Cash Flow and RiskKey findings cardInfographic: Small Business Statistics 2026: 160+ Numbers on Counts, Jobs, Survival, Cash Flow and RiskInfographicUS small businesses by industry, 2022 (top 8) (millions of small businesses)US small businesses by industry, 2022 (top 8) (millions of small businesses)Share of US establishments opened in 2015 still operating, by year (%)Share of US establishments opened in 2015 still operating, by year (%)Top financial challenges for US small employer firms, prior 12 months (% of employer firms)Top financial challenges for US small employer firms, prior 12 months (% of employer firms)Share of breaches involving ransomware, by organization size (Verizon 2025 DBIR data) (% of breaches)Share of breaches involving ransomware, by organization size (Verizon 2025 DBIR data) (% of breaches)US business applications per year, 2019 to 2025 (million applications)US business applications per year, 2019 to 2025 (million applications)Share of small employer firms operating at a profit, by Small Business Credit Survey year (% of employer firms)Share of small employer firms operating at a profit, by Small Business Credit Survey year (% of employer firms)Single most important problem cited by US small business owners, September 2026 (% of owners)Single most important problem cited by US small business owners, September 2026 (% of owners)Monthly rate of new entrepreneurs by group, United States, 2025 (% of adults per month)Monthly rate of new entrepreneurs by group, United States, 2025 (% of adults per month)Small firms' share of US net job creation across BLS reporting periods (%)Small firms' share of US net job creation across BLS reporting periods (%)Share of small business credit applicants fully approved, by lender type (2025 survey) (%)Share of small business credit applicants fully approved, by lender type (2025 survey) (%)What small businesses use AI for (share of AI-using employer firms, 2025 survey) (%)What small businesses use AI for (share of AI-using employer firms, 2025 survey) (%)Outstanding commercial credit balances in India, individuals plus enterprises (₹ lakh crore)Outstanding commercial credit balances in India, individuals plus enterprises (₹ lakh crore)

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Small Business Statistics 2026: 160+ Numbers on Counts, Jobs, Survival, Cash Flow and Risk
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Sources and method

Every number on this page comes from the sources below, each opened and read on or before October 17, 2026. A second, independent review checked every figure against its source and corrected anything that did not match. Figures that could not be confirmed were left out.

  1. U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of Advocacy, Frequently Asked Questions About Small Business 2026 (February 2026)
  2. U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of Advocacy, 2025 Small Business Profile: United States (June 2025)
  3. U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of Advocacy, 2025 Small Business Profile: California (June 2025)
  4. U.S. Census Bureau, Census Bureau Releases New Data on Business Owner Characteristics (2024 ABS and 2023 NES-D) (November 20, 2025)
  5. U.S. Census Bureau, Number of U.S. Nonemployers Grew Faster Than Employer Businesses Nearly Every Year From 2012 to 2023 (July 30, 2025)
  6. Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income, Table 1. Nonfarm Sole Proprietorships: Business Receipts, Selected Deductions, Payroll, and Net Income, by Industrial Sectors, Tax Year 2023 (Tax Year 2023 (posted 2026))
  7. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Business Employment Dynamics: Survival of private sector establishments by opening year (Table 7, total private) (Data through March 2025)
  8. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Business Employment Dynamics: Survival of private sector establishments by opening year (Table 7, Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting) (Data through March 2025)
  9. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Business Employment Dynamics: Survival of private sector establishments by opening year (Table 7, Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction) (Data through March 2025)
  10. Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, Bankruptcies Rise 12.2 Percent (July 28, 2026)
  11. Office for National Statistics (UK), Business demography, UK: 2024 (20 November 2025)
  12. Eurostat, Business demography statistics (Statistics Explained) (Data from October 2026)
  13. Federal Reserve Banks, Small Business Credit Survey: 2026 Report on Employer Firms (March 3, 2026)
  14. Intuit QuickBooks, 2026 Small Business Late Payments Report (July 2026)
  15. Xero, Xero Small Business Insights: United States, June 2026 quarter (30 July 2026)
  16. Atradius, B2B payment practices trends in the US 2026 (2026)
  17. Office of the Small Business Commissioner (UK), Office of the Small Business Commissioner (home page) (Accessed October 2026)
  18. Office of the Small Business Commissioner (UK), Payment Times Are Improving As New Legislation Dawns (15 July 2026)
  19. Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Government of India, MSME Samadhaan: Delayed Payment Monitoring System dashboard (Live dashboard, accessed October 2026)
  20. Verizon Business, Cybersecurity insights for SMBs (2026 DBIR and Breach Impact Study infographic) (2026 (DBIR May 19, 2026; BIS June 16, 2026))
  21. Verizon Business, 2025 Data Breach Investigations Report: Small- and Medium-Sized Business Snapshot (2025)
  22. Verizon Business, 2026 Data Breach Investigations Report: Executive Summary (May 19, 2026)
  23. Verizon Business, 2026 Data Breach Investigations Report (full report, Small- and medium-sized businesses section) (May 19, 2026)
  24. Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), Internet Crime Report 2025 (2025 annual report)
  25. UK Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (GOV.UK), Cyber security breaches survey 2025/2026 (30 April 2026)
  26. Sophos, The State of Ransomware 2026 (2026)
  27. Statistics Canada, Impact of cybercrime on Canadian businesses, 2023 (The Daily) (2024-10-21)
  28. U.S. Census Bureau, Business Formation Statistics, September 2026 (Release CB26-163) (October 14, 2026)
  29. U.S. Census Bureau, Business Formation Statistics, December 2025 (Release CB26-11) (January 14, 2026)
  30. Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, FRED (data: U.S. Census Bureau), Business Applications: Total for All NAICS in the United States (BABATOTALNSAUS), annual sum (Accessed October 2026)
  31. Kauffman Indicators of Entrepreneurship (Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation), National Report on Early-Stage Entrepreneurship in the United States: 2025 (May 2026)
  32. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Business Employment Dynamics - Fourth Quarter 2025 (July 29, 2026)
  33. Gusto, via PR Newswire, Gusto 2026 New Business Formation Report (press release) (May 14, 2026)
  34. Federal Reserve Banks (Fed Small Business), 2026 Report on Employer Firms: Findings from the 2025 Small Business Credit Survey (March 3, 2026)
  35. Federal Reserve Banks (Fed Small Business), via FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Small Business Credit Survey: Operated at a Profit: Employer Firms (SBCSS7B0V0FRB) (Updated July 30, 2026)
  36. National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), NFIB Small Business Economic Trends, September 2026 (October 2026)
  37. Bank of America, 2025 Bank of America Business Owner Report (press release) (November 18, 2025)
  38. JPMorganChase, 2026 Business Leaders Outlook (press release) (January 7, 2026)
  39. U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Q3 2026 Justworks & U.S. Chamber of Commerce Small Business Index: Key Findings (September 30, 2026)
  40. Vistage Worldwide, WSJ/Vistage Small Business CEO Survey, September 2026 (October 2, 2026)
  41. Chase (JPMorganChase), Small Business Pulse: Profitability up, payroll growth down in January 2026 (February 20, 2026)
  42. Internal Revenue Service, Instructions for Form 1120 (2025): Estimates of Taxpayer Burden (2025 tax year edition)
  43. American Arbitration Association, Small Business Dispute Resolution (2024 data, accessed October 2026)
  44. American Arbitration Association, American Arbitration Association: Why AAA? (caseload data) (2025 data, accessed October 2026)
  45. Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, Federal Judicial Caseload Statistics 2025 (2025 (12 months ending March 31, 2025))
  46. UK Department for Business and Trade (GOV.UK), Longitudinal Small Business Survey 2025: SME employers (businesses with 1 to 249 employees) (15 October 2026)
  47. Legal Services Board (UK), Small Business Legal Needs Survey (2021 wave) (2021 survey (fielded July to September 2021))
  48. eCourts Services, Government of India, National Judicial Data Grid: District and Taluka Courts (Last updated 14-10-2026)
  49. U.S. Census Bureau, National Black History Month: February 2026 (Facts for Features CB26-FF.01) (February 10, 2026)
  50. U.S. Census Bureau, Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month: May 2026 (Facts for Features CB26-FFF.04) (April 21, 2026)
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  54. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Small businesses continue to outpace large businesses in job creation (The Economics Daily) (May 8, 2025)
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  60. U.S. Small Business Administration, SBA's SBIC program delivers record capital in FY25 (News release 26-07) (November 19, 2025)
  61. Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, Small Business Lending Survey, Q2 2026 (September 24, 2026)
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  64. U.S. Census Bureau, Large Firms With at Least 20 Employees Biggest AI Users (May 26, 2026)
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  66. Thryv Holdings, AI Adoption Among Small Businesses Surges 41% in 2025 According to New Survey from Thryv (July 17, 2025)
  67. U.S. Chamber of Commerce Technology Engagement Center, 2025 Empowering Small Business Report (August 18, 2025)
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  74. Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Government of India, Udyam Registration portal: Udyam + UAP overview (Facts dated 18 October 2026)
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  76. Eurostat, Use of artificial intelligence in enterprises (Statistics Explained) (Data extracted in December 2025)
  77. Statistics Canada, Business conditions in Canada, second quarter of 2026 (May 27, 2026)
  78. Press Information Bureau, Government of India, The MSME Revolution: Transforming India's Economic Landscape (23 December 2024)
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Cite this page

ClauseAudit, “Small Business Statistics 2026: 160+ Numbers on Counts, Jobs, Survival, Cash Flow and Risk”, updated October 17, 2026, https://clauseaudit.com/data/small-business-statistics. Free to reuse with a link back (CC BY 4.0).

This page summarises published data and law as checked on October 17, 2026. Figures are updated as new editions are released, and your own situation may differ. It is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice.