Small business statistics at a glance
Small business data is full of scale contrasts: nearly every business in the United States is small, yet the category still covers tens of millions of firms, a huge share of jobs, and a meaningful slice of GDP. The numbers below show why small businesses sit at the center of the U.S. economy, from employment and exports to lending, ownership, and business survival.
Table of contents
- Fast facts
- How many small businesses there are
- Jobs, GDP, and payroll impact
- Employer firms vs nonemployer firms
- Small business growth, jobs, and exports
- Business survival and firm dynamics
- Financing and operating challenges
- Ownership patterns and demographics
- Why the statistics matter
Fast facts
Big number: 99.9% of businesses are small (SBA Frequently Asked Questions About Small Business 2024).
Employment scale: Small businesses employ 45.9% of American workers and about 59 million people (SBA Frequently Asked Questions About Small Business 2024).
Economic weight: Small businesses account for 43.5% of GDP and 39% of all private-sector payroll (SBA Frequently Asked Questions About Small Business 2024).
Hiring role: Small businesses have accounted for 61.1% of net new job creation since 1995 (SBA Frequently Asked Questions About Small Business 2024).
Exporter share: Small businesses comprise 97.4% of exporters and account for 34.9% of known export value (SBA Frequently Asked Questions About Small Business 2024).
Key takeaways
- The small business category is not a niche segment. It is the default structure of U.S. business ownership and employment.
- The same firms that dominate business counts also support nearly half of GDP and a large share of payroll.
- Small business performance matters beyond local commerce because it shapes job creation, exports, and access to credit.
How many small businesses there are
The headline scale is large enough to matter on its own: there are 34,752,434 small businesses in the United States (SBA Frequently Asked Questions About Small Business 2024). That count is paired with a much smaller number of large businesses, just 19,688 (SBA Frequently Asked Questions About Small Business 2024), which is one reason the small business share reaches 99.9%.
That structure matters because the small business label covers very different operating models. Some are employer firms with payroll and staff. Others are nonemployer firms, which are still business entities but do not have paid employees.
At a glance: business count structure
| Measure | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Small businesses in the U.S. | 34,752,434 | SBA Frequently Asked Questions About Small Business 2024 |
| Large businesses in the U.S. | 19,688 | SBA Frequently Asked Questions About Small Business 2024 |
| Share of all businesses that are small | 99.9% | SBA Frequently Asked Questions About Small Business 2024 |
| Nonemployer small businesses | 28,477,518 | SBA Frequently Asked Questions About Small Business 2024 |
| Employer small businesses | 6,274,916 | SBA Frequently Asked Questions About Small Business 2024 |
The nonemployer slice is especially large. There are 28,477,518 U.S. small businesses with no employees, and they make up 81.9% of all small businesses (SBA Frequently Asked Questions About Small Business 2024). By contrast, 6,274,916 small businesses have paid employees and are classified as employer firms, which is 18.1% of the total small-business universe (SBA Frequently Asked Questions About Small Business 2024).
Jobs, GDP, and payroll impact
The scale of small business activity becomes clearer when the count data is paired with economic output. Small businesses employ 45.9% of American workers and about 59 million people (SBA Frequently Asked Questions About Small Business 2024). They also account for 43.5% of GDP and 39% of all private-sector payroll (SBA Frequently Asked Questions About Small Business 2024).
That combination is important: small businesses are not only numerous, they are also central to how income moves through the economy.
Why it matters
- A group that represents almost all businesses but less than half of employment still has a broad reach.
- A 43.5% GDP share means small businesses are tied to a substantial portion of total economic activity, not just local storefronts.
- A 39% payroll share shows how many workers depend on small business owners for income, benefits, and job continuity.
Small businesses also play an outsize role in job growth. Since 1995, they have accounted for 61.1% of net new job creation (SBA Frequently Asked Questions About Small Business 2024). From January 1995 to June 2023, small businesses created 20.2 million net new jobs, while large businesses created 12.8 million over the same period (SBA Frequently Asked Questions About Small Business 2024).
Employer firms vs nonemployer firms
A useful way to interpret small business statistics is to separate firms that hire workers from firms that operate without employees. The difference changes how employment, revenue, and business survival statistics should be read.
Employer and nonemployer snapshot
| Category | Count | Share of small businesses | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonemployer firms | 28,477,518 | 81.9% | SBA Frequently Asked Questions About Small Business 2024 |
| Employer firms | 6,274,916 | 18.1% | SBA Frequently Asked Questions About Small Business 2024 |
The employer side is where payroll and staffing dynamics become more visible. The number of small employer firms has increased each year since 2011 (SBA Frequently Asked Questions About Small Business 2024). That trend suggests steady expansion in the number of businesses that operate with employees, even though the nonemployer base remains much larger.
Nonemployer firms also show long-run growth. Their count has increased by 84% since 1997 (SBA Frequently Asked Questions About Small Business 2024). That is a major structural change and it helps explain why small business counts can rise faster than employment counts.
Fast facts to remember
- 81.9% of small businesses are nonemployer firms (SBA Frequently Asked Questions About Small Business 2024).
- 18.1% are employer firms (SBA Frequently Asked Questions About Small Business 2024).
- Employer firm counts have grown every year since 2011 (SBA Frequently Asked Questions About Small Business 2024).
- Nonemployer firms are up 84% since 1997 (SBA Frequently Asked Questions About Small Business 2024).
Small business growth, jobs, and exports
Small business statistics become more revealing when you compare them with export data and recent labor market contributions. The numbers show that small businesses are not only domestic job engines; they also matter in trade.
Small businesses comprise 97.4% of exporters, which equals 271,241 businesses (SBA Frequently Asked Questions About Small Business 2024). They also account for 34.9% of known export value, or $541.6 billion (SBA Frequently Asked Questions About Small Business 2024).
That means a small share of firms can still create a meaningful share of export value because the category spans many business models, from niche manufacturers to service-linked firms with international customers.
Export context
| Export measure | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Small-business share of exporters | 97.4% | SBA Frequently Asked Questions About Small Business 2024 |
| Number of small-business exporters | 271,241 | SBA Frequently Asked Questions About Small Business 2024 |
| Small-business share of known export value | 34.9% | SBA Frequently Asked Questions About Small Business 2024 |
| Known export value tied to small businesses | $541.6 billion | SBA Frequently Asked Questions About Small Business 2024 |
The export story also shows how changes in trade conditions ripple through business sizes differently. In 2021, small business exports comprised roughly 35% of total goods exports (SBA Issue Brief No. 19: What Do We Know About Small Businesses that Export?). Total U.S. known exports were $1,554 billion that year, and small businesses contributed $542 billion of that total (SBA Issue Brief No. 19: What Do We Know About Small Businesses that Export?).
Between 2020 and 2021, small business exports increased by $128 billion (SBA Issue Brief No. 19: What Do We Know About Small Businesses that Export?). Small businesses accounted for 45% of the total increase in exports during that period (SBA Issue Brief No. 19: What Do We Know About Small Businesses that Export?).
The prior year moved in the opposite direction. Between 2019 and 2020, small business exports declined by $46 billion (SBA Issue Brief No. 19: What Do We Know About Small Businesses that Export?). Large business exports declined by $143 billion, which represented 76% of the total decline in exports from 2019 to 2020 (SBA Issue Brief No. 19: What Do We Know About Small Businesses that Export?).
Business survival and firm dynamics
Startup survival is one of the hardest parts of interpreting small business statistics because the headline count of businesses does not say how long firms last. The supplied data helps by showing a 10-year cohort view.
In 2023, 34.7% of U.S. private-sector business establishments born in March 2013 were still operating (BLS The Economics Daily, 34.7 percent of business establishments born in 2013 were still operating in 2023). That means just over one-third of the cohort survived a decade.
The data also shows how survival varies by industry. Some sectors hold up better than others, and that matters if you are comparing small business opportunities across industries.
Ten-year survival rates for the 2013 cohort
| Industry | 10-year survival rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting | 50.5% | BLS The Economics Daily, 34.7 percent of business establishments born in 2013 were still operating in 2023 |
| Utilities | 45.7% | BLS The Economics Daily, 34.7 percent of business establishments born in 2013 were still operating in 2023 |
| Manufacturing | 43.6% | BLS The Economics Daily, 34.7 percent of business establishments born in 2013 were still operating in 2023 |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 42.2% | BLS The Economics Daily, 34.7 percent of business establishments born in 2013 were still operating in 2023 |
| Retail trade | 41.7% | BLS The Economics Daily, 34.7 percent of business establishments born in 2013 were still operating in 2023 |
| Construction | 40.1% | BLS The Economics Daily, 34.7 percent of business establishments born in 2013 were still operating in 2023 |
| Other services | 39.6% | BLS The Economics Daily, 34.7 percent of business establishments born in 2013 were still operating in 2023 |
| Information | 29.1% | BLS The Economics Daily, 34.7 percent of business establishments born in 2013 were still operating in 2023 |
| Wholesale trade | 32.1% | BLS The Economics Daily, 34.7 percent of business establishments born in 2013 were still operating in 2023 |
| Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction | 24.5% | BLS The Economics Daily, 34.7 percent of business establishments born in 2013 were still operating in 2023 |
The spread is notable. The top end in the supplied set is 50.5% in agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting, while mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction is lowest at 24.5% (BLS The Economics Daily, 34.7 percent of business establishments born in 2013 were still operating in 2023). That is a wide gap for anyone trying to understand sector-specific risk.
The same BLS set also notes that the 2013 cohort survival rate fell by 20.4 percentage points in the first year, from 2013 to 2014 (BLS The Economics Daily, 34.7 percent of business establishments born in 2013 were still operating in 2023). Early attrition is a major feature of firm dynamics, which is why long-run survival data is useful alongside snapshot counts.
Financing and operating challenges
Small business statistics are not just about counts and growth. They also show how hard it can be to keep operating through cost pressure, supply disruptions, and financing constraints.
In 2023, more than 9 in 10 small employer firms experienced either a financial or operational challenge (Federal Reserve 2024 Report on Employer Firms). That single figure captures why many owners feel as if day-to-day operations are the main story, not abstract metrics.
Two of the clearest pain points are rising costs and supply chain issues.
- In 2023, 77% of small employer firms identified rising costs as a financial challenge (Federal Reserve 2024 Report on Employer Firms).
- In 2022, the comparable figure was 81% (Federal Reserve 2024 Report on Employer Firms).
- In 2023, 41% reported supply chain issues as an operational challenge (Federal Reserve 2024 Report on Employer Firms).
- In 2022, that share was 60% (Federal Reserve 2024 Report on Employer Firms).
Those changes suggest improvement in some operating conditions, but the levels remain high enough to shape pricing, inventory, and staffing decisions.
Borrowing and credit access
Financing is another major part of the small business picture. In 2023, 37% of small employer firms applied for loans, lines of credit, or merchant cash advances (Federal Reserve 2024 Report on Employer Firms). Of those applicants, 51% were fully approved for the financing they sought (Federal Reserve 2024 Report on Employer Firms).
The broader financing picture in the supplied data also shows continuing credit-market friction:
- In 2024, 37% of firms applied for a loan, line of credit, or merchant cash advance in the prior 12 months, unchanged from 2023 (Federal Reserve 2025 Report on Employer Firms).
- In 2024, applicants at small banks were more likely to be fully approved at 54% (Federal Reserve 2025 Report on Employer Firms).
- In 2024, applicant firms were less likely to apply at large banks, 39% versus 44% in 2023 (Federal Reserve 2025 Report on Employer Firms).
- In 2024, net satisfaction with lenders among financing applicants fell from 15% to 2% for online-lender applicants (Federal Reserve 2025 Report on Employer Firms).
Payments are another operational pressure point. In 2023, roughly four out of five small firms faced challenges related to payments (Federal Reserve 2024 Report on Payments). That reinforces a broader pattern: small business management is often a working-capital and cash-flow exercise as much as a growth exercise.
Ownership patterns and demographics
The SBA profile data shows how broad small business ownership is across gender, race, ethnicity, and veteran status. These figures are especially useful because they show that small business ownership is distributed across many demographic groups rather than concentrated in a single profile.
Ownership counts in the 2024 SBA profile
| Ownership group | Businesses | Source |
|---|---|---|
| White-owned businesses | 25,935,023 | SBA United States 2024 profile |
| Male-owned businesses | 18,605,656 | SBA United States 2024 profile |
| Female-owned businesses | 13,275,523 | SBA United States 2024 profile |
| Hispanic-owned businesses | 5,145,086 | SBA United States 2024 profile |
| Black or African American-owned businesses | 4,294,031 | SBA United States 2024 profile |
| Asian-owned businesses | 3,101,950 | SBA United States 2024 profile |
| Veteran-owned businesses | 1,621,823 | SBA United States 2024 profile |
| American Indian and Alaska Native-owned businesses | 402,582 | SBA United States 2024 profile |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander-owned businesses | 98,324 | SBA United States 2024 profile |
The same dataset also reports 12,060,751 Hispanic or racial minority-owned businesses and 21,050,513 White and not Hispanic-owned businesses in the 2024 SBA profile (SBA United States 2024 profile). Those categories are not interchangeable with the gender counts above, but together they show how many different ways the small business landscape can be segmented.
Related SBA ownership summaries add more context:
- In 2024, women-owned businesses were described as roughly 12 million businesses with 10.1 million employees and $388.1 billion in payroll (SBA Facts About Small Businesses: Women-Owned Businesses).
- In 2023, women-owned businesses numbered over 12 million and employed over 10.1 million workers (SBA Facts About Small Business: Women Ownership Statistics).
- In 2024, veteran majority-owned firms exceeded 1.6 million and employed nearly 3.3 million workers (SBA Facts About Small Business: Veteran Ownership Statistics 2024).
- In 2024, veterans represented 5.5% of business owners in the United States (SBA Facts About Small Business: Veteran Ownership Statistics 2024).
- In 2025, veterans were the majority owners of over 1.6 million firms and those firms employed nearly 3.2 million workers (SBA Facts About Small Business: Veteran Ownership Statistics 2025).
Why the statistics matter
The strongest pattern in the dataset is that small business influence comes from many directions at once. They are nearly all businesses by count, they employ a large share of workers, they generate a meaningful share of GDP and payroll, and they remain important in exports, credit markets, and job creation (SBA Frequently Asked Questions About Small Business 2024).
A few practical readouts stand out from the supplied numbers:
- If you are thinking about the business landscape at a macro level, the 99.9% count share tells you that small business is the baseline business structure, not the exception.
- If you are evaluating labor-market impact, the 45.9% employment share and 61.1% net new job creation share since 1995 show why small firms are often treated as a labor engine.
- If you are looking at sector risk, the 10-year survival spread from 50.5% to 24.5% shows that industry choice can matter as much as the decision to start a business at all.
- If you are focused on funding, the 37% application rate and 51% full approval rate in 2023 show that access to capital remains a central operational issue.
- If you are comparing ownership categories, the SBA profile data shows that small business ownership is widespread across women, veterans, and multiple racial and ethnic groups.
The result is a picture of small businesses as both numerous and consequential. They are the part of the economy most people see every day, but the statistics show that their combined role reaches much further into jobs, exports, payroll, and growth than a casual glance would suggest.