Number of female sole proprietors in Germany
Germany: Number of female sole proprietors was 184,287 in 2024. ▲ Rising
Number of female sole proprietors in Germany, 2014–2024
Source: World Bank's Entrepreneurship Survey and database (https://www.worldbank.org/en/programs/entrepreneurship). Downloaded on May 2, 2026.
Analysis
In 2024, number of female sole proprietors in Germany stood at 184,287. That is the highest value across all 11 years on record.
The figure is up 1.3% on the previous year and up 9.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of female sole proprietors in Germany peaked at 184,287 in 2024 and was at its lowest, 150,796, in 2018.
Germany ranks 6th of 78 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 11 years of available data.
Number of female sole proprietors in Germany, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 167,883 | — |
| 2015 | 162,541 | -3.2% |
| 2016 | 156,216 | -3.9% |
| 2017 | 154,200 | -1.3% |
| 2018 | 150,796 | -2.2% |
| 2019 | 154,662 | +2.6% |
| 2020 | 155,147 | +0.3% |
| 2021 | 167,702 | +8.1% |
| 2022 | 166,988 | -0.4% |
| 2023 | 181,981 | +9.0% |
| 2024 | 184,287 | +1.3% |
Germany compared with similar countries
- Germany's 184,287 is above the median for high income countries, which is 12,223, 15.1× the median. (28 countries reporting)
- Germany's 184,287 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 12,223, 15.1× the median. (32 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 157,716 | 150,796 | 167,883 | 6 |
| 2020s | 171,221 | 155,147 | 184,287 | 5 |
Countries ranked near Germany
More private sector data for Germany
- Merchandise trade 65.5% (2025)
- Food imports 9.6% (2025)
- Manufactures imports 74.4% (2025)
- Merchandise imports 1.54 trillion current US$ (2025)
- Commercial service imports 600.33 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 6.6% (2025)
- Manufactures exports 83.3% (2025)
- Merchandise exports 1.76 trillion current US$ (2025)
- Commercial service exports 512.38 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 21,130 current US$ per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of female sole proprietors in Germany?
- Number of female sole proprietors in Germany was 184,287 in 2024, according to World Bank's Entrepreneurship Survey and database (https://www.worldbank.org/en/programs/entrepreneurship). Downloaded on May 2, 2026.
- What is the highest number of female sole proprietors recorded in Germany?
- The highest recorded value was 184,287 in 2024.
- What is the lowest number of female sole proprietors recorded in Germany?
- The lowest recorded value was 150,796 in 2018.
- How does Germany rank for number of female sole proprietors?
- Germany ranks 6th out of 78 countries with data for 2024.
- Is number of female sole proprietors rising or falling in Germany?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Germany data come from?
- The figures come from World Bank's Entrepreneurship Survey and database (https://www.worldbank.org/en/programs/entrepreneurship). Downloaded on May 2, 2026, published as part of Number of female sole proprietors. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 11 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Number of female sole proprietors is the number of newly registered sole proprietors owned by female individuals in the calendar year. A sole proprietorship is a business entity owned and managed by a single individual who is indistinguishable from the business and personally liable.