New business density in OECD members
OECD members: New business density was 4.46 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
4.46 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64
Change on year
up 1.2%
Rank
16th
of 45 groups
All-time high
4.5 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64
in 2021
All-time low
2.54 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64
in 2009
Years of data
18
2006–2023
New business density in OECD members, 2006–2023
Source: Entrepreneurship Database, World Bank (WB). Measured in new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64.
Analysis
OECD members recorded 4.46 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 for new business density in 2023.
That represents a change of up 1.2% on the previous year and up 46.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, new business density in OECD members peaked at 4.5 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 in 2021 and was at its lowest, 2.54 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64, in 2009.
OECD members ranks 16th of 45 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 18 years of available data.
New business density in OECD members, year by year
| Year | new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 2.76 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 | — |
| 2007 | 2.99 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 | +8.1% |
| 2008 | 2.68 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 | -10.4% |
| 2009 | 2.54 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 | -5.2% |
| 2010 | 2.73 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 | +7.5% |
| 2011 | 2.88 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 | +5.6% |
| 2012 | 2.94 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 | +2.0% |
| 2013 | 3.05 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 | +4.0% |
| 2014 | 3.28 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 | +7.5% |
| 2015 | 3.43 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 | +4.4% |
| 2016 | 3.63 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 | +5.9% |
| 2017 | 3.57 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 | -1.6% |
| 2018 | 3.78 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 | +5.9% |
| 2019 | 3.83 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 | +1.3% |
| 2020 | 3.96 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 | +3.3% |
| 2021 | 4.5 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 | +13.7% |
| 2022 | 4.41 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 | -2.1% |
| 2023 | 4.46 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 | +1.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 2.74 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 | 2.54 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 | 2.99 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 | 4 |
| 2010s | 3.31 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 | 2.73 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 | 3.83 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.33 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 | 3.96 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 | 4.5 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 | 4 |
Countries ranked near OECD members
- 13 China 15.59 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 compare
- 14 Liechtenstein 15.57 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 compare
- 15 Naoero 15.23 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 compare
- 16 Croatia 15.21 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 compare
- 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
More private sector data for OECD members
- Merchandise trade 41.9% (2025)
- Food imports 9.1% (2024)
- Manufactures imports 70.6% (2024)
- Merchandise imports 15.86 trillion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 9.5% (2024)
- Manufactures exports 69.2% (2024)
- Merchandise exports 14.51 trillion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 10,347 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.2 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate 6.28 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is new business density in OECD members?
- New business density in OECD members was 4.46 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 in 2023, according to Entrepreneurship Database, World Bank (WB).
- What is the highest new business density recorded in OECD members?
- The highest recorded value was 4.5 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 in 2021.
- What is the lowest new business density recorded in OECD members?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.54 new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64 in 2009.
- How does OECD members rank for new business density?
- OECD members ranks 16th out of 45 groups with data for 2023.
- Is new business density rising or falling in OECD members?
- Over the last ten years it is up 46.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this OECD members 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.