Abstract (en): Dun's Review began publishing monthly data on business failures by branch of business during the 1890s. At that time, a business failure was defined as a concern which was involved in a court proceeding or voluntary action which was likely to end in loss to creditors. Liabilities of failed businesses were defined "as all liabilities except long-term publicly-held obligations, chiefly bonds." Dun's published data on failures by branch of business from 1895 through 1935. This dataset reconstructs that series and links it to its successors. The successor series include data on business failures by division of industry, which Dun and Bradstreet's published from 1934 through 1940. This study includes six parts. Part One contains aggregate liabilities in dollars, broken down by branch, month, and year. Part Two contains aggregate numbers of business failures broken down by branch, month, and year. Part Three contains aggregate liability in dollars broken down by division, month, and year. Part Four contains aggregate numbers of business failures broken down by division, month, and year. Part Five contains aggregate liabilities broken down by sector, month, and year. Part Six contains aggregate numbers of business failures broken down by sector, month, and year. Part One and Part Two contain 36 variables and 562 cases. Part Three and Part Four contain 51 variables and 60 cases. Part Five and Part Six contain 6 variables and 562 cases. This study allows for economic analysis of business failures. It is intended to provide a resource on business failure and liabilites from 1895 to 1940. Data originally collected from court filings at municipal, county, state, and United States district court houses throughout the United States from 1895 through 1940. Data published periodically by R. G. Dun and Company, Bradstreet's Company, and their successors through 1940. From their publications, the principal investigators collected, cleaned, compiled, and computerized the current data series. Variables include monthly, unadjusted, liabilities and monthly, unadjusted, number of failures for different branches, sectors, divisons. ICPSR data undergo a confidentiality review and are altered when necessary to limit the risk of disclosure. ICPSR also routinely creates ready-to-go data files along with setups in the major statistical software formats as well as standard codebooks to accompany the data. In addition to these procedures, ICPSR performed the following processing steps for this data collection: Checked for undocumented or out-of-range codes.. Businesses that failed in the United States from 1895 through 1940. Smallest Geographic Unit: United States The data consist of the aggregate number of corporations filing for bankruptcy in various industries each month in the United States and the total liabilities of those corporations. Please refer to the codebook for sampling information in the "Original P.I. Documentation" section. Additional information can be found by visiting the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) Web site. For additional information on these datasets please see the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) Web site.The dates in the Original P.I. Documentation for Business Failures by Industry in the United States range from 1895 to 1939, however, the data range from 1895 to 1940. The title for ICPSR 34016 has been changed to reflect the data.

A comprehensive dataset covering small business statistics in 2025, including failure rates, growth data, average revenue, number of employees, and market insights.

Graph and download economic data for Number of Business Failures, Trading Companies for United States (M0931CUSM474NNBR) from Jan 1939 to Mar 1958 about failures, companies, trade, business, and USA.

According to the survey carried out among start-up owners, the main reasons why their businesses did not work out was a lack of financing, with nearly half percent of the start-ups giving this as the main reason for their business failure. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic played a role in one third of business failures. There is rarely one reason behind a company going bankrupt, it is rather a mixture of several issues, as reflected in the many reasons stated by the respondents.

Introduction

Startup Failure Rate Statistics: Launching a new business can be both exciting and promising, but it also comes with its share of ups and downs. Understanding the reasons behind startup failures can help aspiring entrepreneurs navigate challenges more effectively. By analyzing data on these failures, entrepreneurs can develop strategies to mitigate risks and create adaptable business plans that increase their chances of success.

This article presents statistics on startup failures, highlighting what potential new businesses may encounter and how to prepare for these challenges. Being informed, developing a clear strategy, and stepping out with confidence are essential for overcoming obstacles in the entrepreneurial journey.

In 2023, less than one in five in Iran who saw good opportunities for starting a business in the country were deterred by a fear of failure. This was the lowest of the 48 countries where this survey was conducted. South Korea followed in second with 27 percent fearing to fail, with Switzerland in third. On the other hand, nearly two thirds of potential entrepreneurs in China were deterred by fear of failure, a concern that also was high in South Africa, India, and Saudi Arabia.

Almost one in five new businesses in the European Union failed in their first year according to the one-year business survival rates in the European Union for 2018. In this year, the country with the highest business survival rate was Greece, which had a one-year survival rate of 96.7 percent, while Lithuania had the lowest at 63.57.

The following small business statistics broken down by industry to help you understand the small business landscape better.

As of 2020, the average startup failure rate in Africa stood at ** percent. However, the rate differed across countries. In Ethiopia and Rwanda, ** percent of the startups ceased operations, while Kenyan startups had a failure rate of ** percent in the same year.

These small business statistics will tell you everything you need to know about the growth of business and where it’s going in the future.

27% of the entire small business workforce had to be laid off or furloughed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The below table shows a complete breakdown of employer businesses owned by minorities.

According to data from the United Kingdom, the reported number of affected stores of failed retail companies during 2024 had reached a total of over 7,500. This is the highest number of stores affected in the past ten years and is even higher than the more than 5,000 stores that were likely affected as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in 2020.

This statistic represents the results of a survey on the failed start-up distribution by type of business in Colombia in 2017. In that year, most of the failed start-up businesses in Colombia belonged to the services sector with a share of 74.36 percent.

France Business Failures: swda: Judicial Decision Day(JD): Total data was reported at 4,344.000 Unit in Apr 2018. This records an increase from the previous number of 4,257.000 Unit for Mar 2018. France Business Failures: swda: Judicial Decision Day(JD): Total data is updated monthly, averaging 4,657.000 Unit from Jan 1990 (Median) to Apr 2018, with 340 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 5,889.000 Unit in Mar 2015 and a record low of 1,571.000 Unit in Mar 2001. France Business Failures: swda: Judicial Decision Day(JD): Total data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Bank of France. The data is categorized under Global Database’s France – Table FR.S002: Business Failure.

According to a new study, women started 49% of new businesses in the United States in 2021. This is way up from 28% in 2019.

As of 2023, UK business enterprises founded in 2022 had a one-year survival rate of 92.3 percent, compared with 93.4 percent in the previous year. For businesses founded in 2018, just 39.4 percent were still operating in 2022.

This statistic shows the results of a survey on attitudes towards starting a new business after a failure in selected countries in Latin America in 2017. That year, 18 percent of the entrepreneurs surveyed in Mexico stated they did not have any intention to start a new business after facing failure.

Data for 478 Chinese entrepreneurs from the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area– a regionwith a high tolerance for failure.

This statistic represents the results of a survey on the failed start-up distribution by type of business in Argentina in 2017. In that year, most of the failed start-up businesses in Argentina belonged to the services sector with a failure share of 61.11 percent.