New business density in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)
Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries): New business density was 3.65 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 in 2024. ▲ Rising
New business density in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries), 2006–2024
Source: Entrepreneurship Database, World Bank (WB). Measured in new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64.
Analysis
The most recent figure for new business density in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) is 3.65 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 19 years on record.
The figure is up 3.6% on the previous year and up 80.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, new business density in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) peaked at 3.65 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 in 2024 and was at its lowest, 1.5 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64, in 2006.
Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) ranks 20th of 45 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 19 years of available data.
New business density in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries), year by year
| Year | new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 1.5 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 | — |
| 2007 | 1.66 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 | +10.9% |
| 2008 | 1.84 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 | +10.5% |
| 2009 | 1.83 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 | -0.1% |
| 2010 | 1.93 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 | +5.1% |
| 2011 | 2.03 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 | +5.1% |
| 2012 | 1.98 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 | -2.5% |
| 2013 | 2.07 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 | +4.9% |
| 2014 | 2.02 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 | -2.7% |
| 2015 | 1.99 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 | -1.4% |
| 2016 | 1.99 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 | +0.4% |
| 2017 | 2.18 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 | +9.2% |
| 2018 | 2.31 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 | +6.1% |
| 2019 | 2.54 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 | +9.9% |
| 2020 | 2.64 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 | +3.9% |
| 2021 | 3.46 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 | +31.0% |
| 2022 | 3.38 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 | -2.1% |
| 2023 | 3.52 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 | +4.0% |
| 2024 | 3.65 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 | +3.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 1.71 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 | 1.5 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 | 1.84 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 | 4 |
| 2010s | 2.1 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 | 1.93 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 | 2.54 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.33 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 | 2.64 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 | 3.65 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 | 5 |
Countries ranked near Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)
- 17 Mauritius 13.98 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 compare
- 18 Botswana 13.33 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 compare
- 19 Belize 13.01 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 compare
- 20 Singapore 11.59 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 compare
- 21 South Africa 11.46 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 compare
- 22 Portugal 11 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 compare
- 23 Iceland 10.86 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 compare
More private sector data for Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)
- Merchandise trade 44.2% (2025)
- Food imports 9.0% (2024)
- Manufactures imports 73.2% (2024)
- Merchandise imports 1.57 trillion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 19.7% (2025)
- Manufactures exports 56.4% (2025)
- Merchandise exports 1.55 trillion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 2,373 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.2193 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate 6.04 % change on previous year (2025)
All data for Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) →
Frequently asked questions
- What is new business density in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- New business density in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) was 3.65 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 in 2024, according to Entrepreneurship Database, World Bank (WB).
- What is the highest new business density recorded in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The highest recorded value was 3.65 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 in 2024.
- What is the lowest new business density recorded in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.5 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 in 2006.
- How does Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) rank for new business density?
- Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) ranks 20th out of 45 groups with data for 2024.
- Is new business density rising or falling in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 80.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) data come from?
- The figures come from Entrepreneurship Database, World Bank (WB), published as part of New business density (new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The number of newly registered firms with limited liability per 1,000 working-age people (ages 15-64) per calendar year.