Entrepreneurship

The data collection for entrepreneurship project was completed in June 2019. To measure entrepreneurial activity, annual data was collected directly from 155 company registrars on the number of newly registered firms. Data was also collected on female entrepreneurship over the past five years in order to measure gender gaps between men and women who start or operate a company. 

As part of the Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative (We-Fi), the Entrepreneurship database collects data on female entrepreneurial activity, from 2014 to 2018, focusing on the following three variables:

Owners of LLC measures the individuals that own at least one share of a newly registered limited liability company in the calendar year.

Directors of LLC measures the individuals who conduct the affairs of new imited liability companies registered in the calendar year.

Sole Proprietors measures the individual that newly owns and manages a business entity and who is indistinguishable from the business and is personally liable in the calendar year.

The table displays the data for 2018.

Download gender disaggregated data on entrepreneurship from 2014-2018 (Excel)

  • Economy Region Number of female business owners Number of male business owners Share of female business owners, % Share of male
    business owners, %
    Afghanistan South Asia 177 8482 2.0 98.0
    Albania Europe & Central Asia 562 2428 18.8 81.2
    Algeria Middle East & North Africa 656 8816 6.9 93.1
    Azerbaijan Europe & Central Asia 2225 11693 16.0 84.0
    Bahrain Middle East & North Africa 1799 6574 21.5 78.5
    Belarus Europe & Central Asia 3238 9801 24.8 75.2
    Benin Sub-Saharan Africa 640 2701 19.2 80.8
    Bhutan South Asia 37 74 33.3 66.7
    Brunei Darussalam East Asia & Pacific 510 1129 31.1 68.9
    Cambodia East Asia & Pacific 3247 10507 23.6 76.4
    Chile High income: OECD 48542 95444 33.7 66.3
    Cote d'Ivoire Sub-Saharan Africa 3773 13581 21.7 78.3
    Denmark High income: OECD 7380 28550 20.5 79.5
    Estonia High income: OECD 6593 16453 28.6 71.4
    Georgia Europe & Central Asia 7218 19546 27.0 73.0
    Germany High income: OECD 14408 84613 14.6 85.4
    Guinea Sub-Saharan Africa 321 2309 12.2 87.8
    Italy High income: OECD 24377 90562 21.2 78.8
    Jamaica Latin America & Caribbean 1462 3183 31.5 68.5
    Jordan Middle East & North Africa 1322 6087 17.8 82.2
    Kiribati East Asia & Pacific 1 3 25.0 75.0
    Kosovo Europe & Central Asia 997 4356 18.6 81.4
    Lao PDR East Asia & Pacific 180 714 20.1 79.9
    Latvia High income: OECD 3197 6187 34.1 65.9
    Lesotho Sub-Saharan Africa 2438 4821 33.6 66.4
    Malaysia East Asia & Pacific 30301 74836 28.8 71.2
    Mali Sub-Saharan Africa 274 3005 8.4 91.6
    Malta Middle East & North Africa 931 4746 16.4 83.6
    Mauritania Sub-Saharan Africa 105 854 10.9 89.1
    Mauritius Sub-Saharan Africa 1645 6640 19.9 80.1
    Mongolia East Asia & Pacific 8135 13950 36.8 63.2
    Morocco Middle East & North Africa 11225 56003 16.7 83.3
    Myanmar East Asia & Pacific 2949 7091 29.4 70.6
    Nepal South Asia 3760 22700 14.2 85.8
    Netherlands High income: OECD 4697 21681 17.8 82.2
    Nigeria Sub-Saharan Africa 178937 354579 33.5 66.5
    North Macedonia Europe & Central Asia 1532 3594 29.9 70.1
    Norway High income: OECD 6843 21902 23.8 76.2
    Oman Middle East & North Africa 1644 10265 13.8 86.2
    Pakistan South Asia 5198 30817 14.4 85.6
    Qatar Middle East & North Africa 1863 12975 12.6 87.4
    Romania Europe & Central Asia 47464 73628 39.2 60.8
    Samoa East Asia & Pacific 85 167 33.7 66.3
    Saudi Arabia Middle East & North Africa 2435 14242 14.6 85.4
    Serbia Europe & Central Asia 2381 6553 26.7 73.3
    Slovenia High income: OECD 950 2577 26.9 73.1
    Taiwan, China East Asia & Pacific 9094 16725 35.2 64.8
    Tajikistan Europe & Central Asia 97 1150 7.8 92.2
    Togo Sub-Saharan Africa 506 1628 23.7 76.3
    Turkey Europe & Central Asia 20922 105401 16.6 83.4
    United Arab Emirates Middle East & North Africa 16921 176241 8.8 91.2
    Zambia Sub-Saharan Africa 4481 16092 21.8 78.2
  • Economy Region Number of female directors Number of male directors Share of female directors, % Share of male directors, %
    Afghanistan South Asia 93 5057 1.8 98.2
    Albania Europe & Central Asia 645 2610 19.8 80.2
    Algeria Middle East & North Africa 1207 16585 6.8 93.2
    Azerbaijan Europe & Central Asia 1291 10320 11.1 88.9
    Bahrain Middle East & North Africa 1416 5969 19.2 80.8
    Belarus Europe & Central Asia 1654 5220 24.1 75.9
    Bhutan South Asia 45 127 26.2 73.8
    Brunei Darussalam East Asia & Pacific 608 1118 35.2 64.8
    Cambodia East Asia & Pacific 3320 11410 22.5 77.5
    Central African Republic Sub-Saharan Africa 39 170 18.7 81.3
    Cote d'Ivoire Sub-Saharan Africa 2117 8944 19.1 80.9
    Denmark High income: OECD 1222 6040 16.8 83.2
    Estonia High income: OECD 6849 15778 30.3 69.7
    Georgia Europe & Central Asia 4408 11644 27.5 72.5
    Jamaica Latin America & Caribbean 1355 3022 31.0 69.0
    Kiribati East Asia & Pacific 1 2 33.3 66.7
    Lao PDR East Asia & Pacific 4505 5928 43.2 56.8
    Latvia High income: OECD 3260 6500 33.4 66.6
    Lesotho Sub-Saharan Africa 2122 4611 31.5 68.5
    Malaysia East Asia & Pacific 3248 5039 39.2 60.8
    Mali Sub-Saharan Africa 1008 6960 12.7 87.3
    Malta Middle East & North Africa 1044 7183 12.7 87.3
    Mauritius Sub-Saharan Africa 3399 11051 23.5 76.5
    Mongolia East Asia & Pacific 6203 10155 37.9 62.1
    Morocco Middle East & North Africa 6880 45440 13.1 86.9
    Myanmar East Asia & Pacific 11043 27244 28.8 71.2
    Nepal South Asia 963 6086 13.7 86.3
    Nigeria Sub-Saharan Africa 72479 143500 33.6 66.4
    North Macedonia Europe & Central Asia 1464 3224 31.2 68.8
    Norway High income: OECD 3521 15627 18.4 81.6
    Oman Middle East & North Africa 1112 9413 10.6 89.4
    Pakistan South Asia 3950 23572 14.4 85.6
    Qatar Middle East & North Africa 585 6744 8.0 92.0
    Romania Europe & Central Asia 39611 65611 37.6 62.4
    Rwanda Sub-Saharan Africa 2767 7786 26.2 73.8
    Samoa East Asia & Pacific 54 140 27.8 72.2
    Saudi Arabia Middle East & North Africa 675 5660 10.7 89.3
    Serbia Europe & Central Asia 2044 5541 26.9 73.1
    Slovenia High income: OECD 974 2438 28.5 71.5
    Sweden High income: OECD 2824 10803 20.7 79.3
    Taiwan, China East Asia & Pacific 8686 15978 35.2 64.8
    Tajikistan Europe & Central Asia 229 602 27.6 72.4
    Thailand East Asia & Pacific 44979 59138 43.2 56.8
    Zambia Sub-Saharan Africa 4435 16403 21.3 78.7
  • Economy Region Number of female sole proprietors Number of male sole proprietors Share of female sole proprietors, % Share of male sole proprietors, %
    Afghanistan South Asia 149 5103 2.8 97.2
    Albania Europe & Central Asia 5244 11605 31.1 68.9
    Algeria Middle East & North Africa 551 7769 6.6 93.4
    Austria High income: OECD 19195 13730 58.3 41.7
    Azerbaijan Europe & Central Asia 18520 56741 24.6 75.4
    Belarus Europe & Central Asia 12325 22828 35.1 64.9
    Benin Sub-Saharan Africa 6091 14273 29.9 70.1
    Central African Republic Sub-Saharan Africa 253 852 22.9 77.1
    Chile High income: OECD 9691 18816 34.0 66.0
    Cote d'Ivoire Sub-Saharan Africa 1069 3062 25.9 74.1
    Croatia Europe & Central Asia 27715 54387 33.8 66.2
    Denmark High income: OECD 13236 21944 37.6 62.4
    Estonia High income: OECD 988 1170 45.8 54.2
    Ethiopia Sub-Saharan Africa 68092 120096 36.2 63.8
    France High income: OECD 190321 299874 38.8 61.2
    Georgia Europe & Central Asia 10112 13793 42.3 57.7
    Germany High income: OECD 150796 280324 35.0 65.0
    Guinea Sub-Saharan Africa 1304 4320 23.2 76.8
    Jamaica Latin America & Caribbean 3300 3665 47.4 52.6
    Jordan Middle East & North Africa 242 1115 17.8 82.2
    Kosovo Europe & Central Asia 1344 3159 29.8 70.2
    Lao PDR East Asia & Pacific 585 1123 34.3 65.7
    Latvia High income: OECD 155 282 35.5 64.5
    Liberia Sub-Saharan Africa 1420 2261 38.6 61.4
    Malaysia East Asia & Pacific 181561 227602 44.4 55.6
    Malta Middle East & North Africa 2691 4672 36.5 63.5
    Mauritania Sub-Saharan Africa 299 2523 10.6 89.4
    Mauritius Sub-Saharan Africa 3491 6981 33.3 66.7
    Mexico Latin America & Caribbean 2244 5822 27.8 72.2
    Mongolia East Asia & Pacific 5556 7896 41.3 58.7
    Morocco Middle East & North Africa 35532 51132 41.0 59.0
    Nepal South Asia 1078 10574 9.3 90.7
    Netherlands High income: OECD 63863 95858 40.0 60.0
    Nigeria Sub-Saharan Africa 109376 221977 33.0 67.0
    North Macedonia Europe & Central Asia 191 354 35.0 65.0
    Norway High income: OECD 2122 4168 33.7 66.3
    Oman Middle East & North Africa 3720 8796 29.7 70.3
    Qatar Middle East & North Africa 1057 3835 21.6 78.4
    Romania Europe & Central Asia 10095 14386 41.2 58.8
    Rwanda Sub-Saharan Africa 1699 2390 41.6 58.4
    Senegal Sub-Saharan Africa 11426 31240 26.8 73.2
    Serbia Europe & Central Asia 13712 23338 37.0 63.0
    Slovak Republic High income: OECD 15656 38737 28.8 71.2
    Slovenia High income: OECD 6045 9805 38.1 61.9
    Suriname Latin America & Caribbean 587 1139 34.0 66.0
    Sweden High income: OECD 107558 207977 34.1 65.9
    Taiwan, China East Asia & Pacific 8686 15978 35.2 64.8
    Tajikistan Europe & Central Asia 15779 25115 38.6 61.4
    Turkey Europe & Central Asia 7337 26160 21.9 78.1
    United Arab Emirates Middle East & North Africa 5676 33645 14.4 85.6
    Zambia Sub-Saharan Africa 3056 9296 24.7 75.3