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.
Why it matters?
Entrepreneurial activity is a pillar of economic growth. For evidence of the economic power of entrepreneurship, we need look no further than the United States, where young firms have been shown to be a more important source of net job creation than incumbent firms. The Entrepreneurship Database is a critical source of data that facilitates the measurement of entrepreneurial activity across countries and over time. The data also allow for a deeper understanding of the relationship between new firm registration, the regulatory environment, and economic growth. Previous research using the Entrepreneurship Database has shown a significant relationship between the level of cost, time, and procedures required to start a business and new firm registration.
Data from 155 economies on the number of newly registered firms per year over the period 2006-2018 can help answer questions regarding trends in new firm creation, the relationship between entrepreneurship and the business environment, the effect of the financial crisis on entrepreneurial activity, and the relation between gender and entrepreneurship. Additional data on the function, structure and automation of business registries provides valuable insight into the impact of registration, and information and communication technology (ICT) reforms on new firm registration.
