Excluding auto-enterprises, business start-ups increased in 2013

In 2013, 538,100 enterprises were created in France, 2% less than in 2012: 158,900 of them were started up as companies (stable against 2012) and 379,300 as sole proprietorships (- 3%), of which 274,900 auto-enterprises (- 11%). The sharp decline in auto-enterprise registrations was partly offset by the boom in other sole proprietorships (+ 26%). Overall, excluding auto-enterprises, business start-ups grew (+ 9%). When all types of enterprise are taken together, start-ups declined in the majority of regions. They also slipped back or remained stable in most sectors, except for financial and insurance activities (+ 8%) and education, human health and social action (+ 6%). Start-ups fell most sharply in other services to households (- 8%), real-estate (- 7%) and construction (- 6%). Only 5% of start-ups employ staff; this figure is 10% when auto-enterprises are excluded. Lastly, among sole proprietorships, the share of start-ups has stabilised at 38% (33% ten years ago); furthermore, there are an increasing number of new businesses in the Professions.