Small businesses span very different statistical universes. U.S. Census data separate nonemployer businesses from employer firms, while BLS measures establishments and the Federal Reserve surveys small employer firms with 1–499 employees; the periods below therefore remain explicit.
Key Small Business Statistics
The following figures summarize the most useful measures across those definitions:
- In 2022, 29,811,495 U.S. nonemployer establishments generated $1,726,773,355 thousand in receipts across all sectors.
- In 2022, 6,949,120 U.S. nonemployer establishments reported receipts below $5,000.
- In 2022, 42.7% of U.S. nonemployer businesses were women-owned, representing 12.7 million businesses.
- In 2022, 17.2% of U.S. nonemployer businesses were Hispanic-owned, representing 5.1 million businesses.
- In 2022, 14.9% of U.S. nonemployer businesses were Black or African American-owned, representing 4.4 million businesses.
- For reference year 2021, about 5.9 million U.S. employer firms were estimated in the Annual Business Survey.
- For reference year 2021, women-owned firms represented about 22% of U.S. employer firms, or about 1.3 million firms.
- For reference year 2021, veteran-owned firms represented 5.2% of U.S. employer firms, or 304,823 firms.
- In 2021, women-owned employer businesses employed an estimated 10.5 million people in the United States.
- In 2021, Hispanic-owned businesses had about $572.9 billion in receipts and employed 3.0 million people in the United States.
- The five-year survival rate was 57.3% for U.S. establishments born in 2018.
- In 2009, start-ups contributed 2,797 thousand net jobs while existing businesses reduced employment by 8,617 thousand in the United States.
- In Q4 2024, opening establishments accounted for 1.6 million private-sector jobs gained in the United States.
- In the 2024 survey, 75% of U.S. small employer firms cited rising costs of goods, services or wages as a financial challenge.
- In the 2024 survey, 59% of U.S. small employer firms sought new financing during the preceding 12 months.
- In the 2024 survey, 39% of U.S. small employer firms reported more than $100,000 in outstanding debt.
Contents
- Small business scale and nonemployer data
- Small business ownership by demographic group
- Nonemployer receipts and legal form
- Employer firms, jobs, receipts and payroll
- Small business formation, jobs and survival
- Small business challenges, debt and financing
Small Business Statistics on Scale and Nonemployer Data
The Census Bureau’s 2022 Nonemployer Statistics count businesses with no paid employees that file federal income tax returns and meet the applicable receipts threshold. They are establishments rather than a universal count of every business under every small-business definition, and their dollar values are current dollars.
In 2022, the series counted 29,811,495 U.S. nonemployer establishments and $1,726,773,355 thousand in receipts across all sectors. The Census table also reports that 6,949,120 establishments had receipts below $5,000, while 4,362,886 fell in the $5,000–$9,999 range.
Source: NS2200NONEMP: All Sectors Nonemployer Statistics by Legal Form and Receipts Size Class, 2022.
| 2022 nonemployer receipts size | Establishments | Measurement note |
|---|---|---|
| Below $5,000 | 6,949,120 | Receipts suppressed in displayed table |
| $5,000–$9,999 | 4,362,886 | Receipts suppressed in displayed table |
| $10,000–$24,999 | 6,798,140 | Receipts suppressed in displayed table |
| $25,000–$49,999 | 4,392,160 | Receipts suppressed in displayed table |
| $50,000–$99,999 | 3,326,725 | Receipts suppressed in displayed table |
| $100,000–$249,999 | 2,569,268 | Receipts-size class |
| $5 million or more | 965 | Open-ended class |
The receipts-size classes show why nonemployer totals should not be read as a single typical business size. The displayed table suppresses receipts for several classes, and the $5 million category is open-ended.
Small Business Ownership Statistics by Race, Ethnicity, Sex and Veteran Status
The Census Bureau’s NES-D links administrative records with decennial Census data to estimate owner characteristics for nonemployer businesses. These are 2022 estimates for businesses without paid employees, and race and Hispanic ethnicity classifications can overlap.
| Owner group, 2022 | Share of nonemployer businesses | Estimated businesses or receipts |
|---|---|---|
| Women-owned | 42.7% | 12.7 million businesses |
| Veteran-owned | 4.6% | 1.4 million firms |
| White-owned | 73.3% | 21.9 million firms |
| Black or African American-owned | 14.9% | 4.4 million firms |
| Asian-owned | 9.3% | 2.8 million firms |
| Hispanic-owned | 17.2% | 5.1 million firms |
Source: Census Bureau Releases Demographic Characteristics of Nonemployer Business Owners.
Women-owned nonemployer businesses generated $411.6 billion in receipts in 2022. The same release estimates $1.3 trillion in receipts for White-owned firms, $130.9 billion for Black or African American-owned firms, $163.1 billion for Asian-owned firms and $235.7 billion for Hispanic-owned firms.
These figures are current-dollar estimates, not inflation-adjusted comparisons of productivity or profitability. They also describe ownership within the nonemployer universe, so they should not be added to employer-firm ownership totals.
Nonemployer Small Business Data by Receipts and Legal Form
Legal form provides another way to describe the 2022 nonemployer universe, but Census table categories should be treated as displayed classifications rather than a complete count of every sole proprietor or corporation in other datasets.
The table reports 1,352,682 establishments under individual proprietorships. It also reports 1,352,682 S-corporation establishments with $226,815,736 thousand in receipts, plus 440,572 C-corporations and other corporate legal forms with $76,693,590 thousand in receipts.
Source: NS2200NONEMP: All Sectors Nonemployer Statistics by Legal Form and Receipts Size Class, 2022.
| Legal-form category, 2022 | Establishments | Receipts |
|---|---|---|
| Individual proprietorships | 1,352,682 | Not stated in supplied table fact |
| S-corporations | 1,352,682 | $226,815,736 thousand |
| C-corporations and other corporate forms | 440,572 | $76,693,590 thousand |
The equal establishment counts for individual proprietorships and S-corporations are reported table values, not a derived relationship. Receipts are expressed in thousands of current dollars, so they are not directly comparable with inflation-adjusted measures.
Employer Small Business Statistics on Jobs, Receipts and Payroll
The Annual Business Survey collection in 2022 estimated employer-firm characteristics for reference year 2021. Its approximately 5.9 million employer firms are a different universe from the 2022 nonemployer establishments above.
| Owner group or measure | 2021 estimate | Geography and unit |
|---|---|---|
| Minority-owned employer firms | About 1.2 million; 21% | U.S. firms |
| Veteran-owned employer firms | 304,823; 5.2% | U.S. firms |
| Women-owned employer firms | About 1.3 million; 22% | U.S. firms |
| Veteran-owned employer receipts | $922.2 billion | Current dollars |
| Women-owned employer receipts | $2.1 trillion | Current dollars |
| Women-owned employer employment | 10.5 million | Employees |
Source: Census Bureau Releases New Data on Minority-Owned, Veteran-Owned and Women-Owned Businesses.
Black-owned employer businesses had about $183.3 billion in annual receipts and 1.4 million employees in 2021. Hispanic-owned businesses increased from 375,256 in 2020 to 406,086 in 2021, an estimated 8.2% increase.
In 2021, Hispanic-owned businesses had about $572.9 billion in receipts, 3.0 million employees and $124.4 billion in payroll. These are ABS estimates, and the minority-owned classification means any race or ethnicity combination other than non-Hispanic White.
Small Business Formation, Job Creation and Five-Year Survival Trends
BLS Business Employment Dynamics statistics describe establishments, not necessarily SBA-defined small businesses or whole firms. Openings and closings can include seasonal reopenings or temporary shutdowns, while permanent-death data are published with a lag.
| Birth cohort or year | Five-year survival or start-up job measure |
|---|---|
| 1994 birth cohort | 54.3% survived five years |
| 2001 birth cohort | 52.3% survived five years |
| 2006 birth cohort | 49.8% survived five years |
| 2010 birth cohort | 56.0% survived five years |
| 2018 birth cohort | 57.3% survived five years |
Source: Business Employment Dynamics Twentieth Anniversary!.
Start-ups contributed 4,127 thousand net jobs in 1994 while existing businesses reduced employment by 1,386 thousand. In 2009, start-ups contributed 2,797 thousand net jobs while existing businesses reduced employment by 8,617 thousand; in 2015, the corresponding figures were 3,011 thousand and a 292-thousand reduction.
More recent quarterly measures show the movement of establishments rather than a five-year outcome. In Q4 2024, opening establishments accounted for 1.6 million private-sector jobs gained, while closing establishments lost 1.5 million jobs; private-sector gross job losses represented 5.7% of employment.
There were 322 thousand establishment births in the three months ended December 2024, a 3.4% seasonally adjusted birth rate. Source: Business Employment Dynamics, Fourth Quarter 2024.
Small Business Statistics on Challenges, Debt and Financing in 2024
The Federal Reserve’s 2024 Small Business Credit Survey covered small employer firms with 1–499 employees. It was a nationwide convenience sample with 7,653 responses, and many questions allowed multiple answers, so percentages should not be added to 100% or interpreted as causal findings.
| 2024 survey measure | Share of firms or applicants | Population |
|---|---|---|
| Rising costs of goods, services or wages | 75% | Employer firms; financial challenge |
| Reaching customers or growing sales | 57% | Employer firms; operational challenge |
| Paying operating expenses | 56% | Employer firms; financial challenge |
| Hiring or retaining qualified staff | 51% | Employer firms; operational challenge |
| Uneven cash flow | 51% | Employer firms; financial challenge |
| Weak sales | 48% | Employer firms; financial challenge |
Source: 2025 Report on Employer Firms: Findings from the 2024 Small Business Credit Survey.
Twenty-nine percent of employer firms reported no outstanding debt, while 39% reported more than $100,000 in outstanding debt. Fifty-nine percent sought new financing during the prior 12 months, and 37% applied for a loan, line of credit or merchant cash advance.
Among financing applicants, 40% sought less than $50,000. Among firms seeking financing, 56% cited meeting operating expenses as a reason and 46% cited expansion or a new opportunity; respondents could select multiple reasons.
Source: 2025 Report on Employer Firms: Findings from the 2024 Small Business Credit Survey (web summary).
Among firms denied all or some financing, 41% said existing debt was a reason in 2024, compared with 22% in 2021. Among firms that did not seek financing, 57% said they already had sufficient financing; both measures are conditional survey responses and should not be generalized beyond the survey population and design.