Small Business Sentiment in the United States increased to 51.67 in February from 49.03 in January of 2015. This dataset provides the latest reported value for - US Small Business Health Index - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.

Thailand Consumer Confidence Index: Willingness to Invest in SME Business data was reported at 46.800 Point in Oct 2018. This records a decrease from the previous number of 49.800 Point for Sep 2018. Thailand Consumer Confidence Index: Willingness to Invest in SME Business data is updated monthly, averaging 80.000 Point from Jan 2003 (Median) to Oct 2018, with 190 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 131.300 Point in May 2004 and a record low of 38.300 Point in Sep 2017. Thailand Consumer Confidence Index: Willingness to Invest in SME Business data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by The Center of Economics and Business Forecasting, University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Thailand – Table TH.H003: Consumer Confidence Index: Chamber of Commerce.

In August 2024, the U.S. Small Business Optimism Index amounted to 91.2. This is a slight decrease from a value of 93.7 in the previous month. The index consists of 10 indicators derived from questions addressing small business owners: Plans to create employment; plans to make capital outlays; plans to increase inventories; expect economy to improve; expect real sales higher; current inventory; current job openings; expected credit conditions; now a good time to expand; earnings trends.

Small Business Sentiment in the United Kingdom increased to -1 points in the first quarter of 2024 from -13 points in the fourth quarter of 2023. This dataset provides the latest reported value for - United Kingdom Small Business Sentiment - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.

Small Business Sentiment in Japan decreased to 1 points in the second quarter of 2025 from 2 points in the first quarter of 2025. This dataset provides - Japan Small Business Sentiment- actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

NFIB Business Optimism Index in the United States increased to 100.30 points in July from 98.60 points in June of 2025. This dataset provides - United States Nfib Business Optimism Index - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Small Business Sentiment in Australia increased to -8 points in the second quarter of 2025 from -9 points in the first quarter of 2025. This dataset provides the latest reported value for - Australia Small Business Sentiment - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.

This statistic shows the Economy Confidence Indicator (ECI) of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the United Kingdom (UK) from February 2016 to January 2018. The ECI showed a net decrease of six points between February 2016 and February 2017 but remained mostly negative thereafter.

Small & Medium Business Survey: Support for Govt Policies: Supportive of Small Business data was reported at 55.000 % Point in Aug 2020. This records an increase from the previous number of 27.400 % Point for Feb 2020. Small & Medium Business Survey: Support for Govt Policies: Supportive of Small Business data is updated quarterly, averaging 29.000 % Point from Aug 2019 (Median) to Aug 2020, with 4 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 55.000 % Point in Aug 2020 and a record low of 27.400 % Point in Feb 2020. Small & Medium Business Survey: Support for Govt Policies: Supportive of Small Business data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Sensis. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Australia – Table AU.S033: Sensis Business Index: Small and Medium Business Outlook & Confidence Survey: New.

In the first quarter of 2025, the share of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that reported worsening business conditions was higher than that of those reporting improved conditions, resulting in an diffusion index (DI) of minus ****. The DI of SME's business sentiment declined from minus ** in the previous quarter.

Australia SMEs Enterprises Survey: Perceptions of The Economy: for Next 12 Months data was reported at 2.000 % Point in Feb 2019. This records a decrease from the previous number of 5.000 % Point for Nov 2018. Australia SMEs Enterprises Survey: Perceptions of The Economy: for Next 12 Months data is updated quarterly, averaging 7.000 % Point from May 1994 (Median) to Feb 2019, with 100 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 56.000 % Point in May 1994 and a record low of -36.000 % Point in Feb 2009. Australia SMEs Enterprises Survey: Perceptions of The Economy: for Next 12 Months data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Sensis Pty Ltd. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Australia – Table AU.S045: Sensis Business Index: Small and Medium Business Outlook & Confidence Survey: Old (Discontinued).

Abstract

The Future of Business Survey is a new source of information on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Launched in February 2016, the monthly survey - a partnership between Facebook, OECD, and The World Bank - provides a timely pulse on the economic environment in which businesses operate and who those businesses are to help inform decision-making at all levels and to deliver insights that can help businesses grow. The Future of Business Survey provides a perspective from newer and long-standing digitalized businesses and provides a unique window into a new mobilized economy.

Policymakers, researchers and businesses share a common interest in the environment in which SMEs operate, as well their outlook on the future, not least because young and innovative SMEs in particular are often an important source of considerable economic and employment growth. Better insights and timely information about SMEs improve our understanding of economic trends, and can provide new insights that can further stimulate and help these businesses grow.

To help provide these insights, Facebook, OECD and The World Bank have collaborated to develop a monthly survey that attempts to improve our understanding of SMEs in a timely and forward-looking manner. The three organizations share a desire to create new ways to hear from businesses and help them succeed in the emerging digitally-connected economy. The shared goal is to help policymakers, researchers, and businesses better understand business sentiment, and to leverage a digital platform to provide a unique source of information to complement existing indicators.

With more businesses leveraging online tools each day, the survey provides a lens into a new mobilized, digital economy and, in particular, insights on the actors: a relatively unmeasured community worthy of deeper consideration and considerable policy interest.

Geographic coverage

When the survey was initially launched in February 2016, it included 22 countries. The Future of Business Survey is conducted in over 90 countries in every region of the world.

Analysis unit

The study describes small and medium-sized enterprises.

Universe

The target population consists of SMEs that have an active Facebook business Page and include both newer and longer-standing businesses, spanning across a variety of sectors. With more businesses leveraging online tools each day, the survey provides a lens into a new mobilized, digital economy and, in particular, insights on the actors: a relatively unmeasured community worthy of deeper consideration and considerable policy interest.

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Sampling procedure

Twice a year in over 97 countries, the Facebook Survey Team sends the Future of Business to admins and owners of Facebook-designated small business pages. When we share data from this survey, we anonymize responses to all survey questions and only share country-level data publicly. To achieve better representation of the broader small business population, we also weight our results based on known characteristics of the Facebook Page admin population. A random sample of firms, representing the target population in each country, is selected to respond to the Future of Business Survey each month.

Mode of data collection

Internet [int]

Research instrument

The survey includes questions about perceptions of current and future economic activity, challenges, business characteristics and strategy. Custom modules include questions related to regulation, access to finance, digital payments, and digital skills. The full questionnaire is available for download.

Response rate

Response rates to online surveys vary widely depending on a number of factors including survey length, region, strength of the relationship with invitees, incentive mechanisms, invite copy, interest of respondents in the topic and survey design. Note: Response rates are calculated as the number of respondents who completed the survey divided by the total number of SMEs invited.

Sampling error estimates

Any survey data is prone to several forms of error and biases that need to be considered to understand how closely the results reflect the intended population. In particular, the following components of the total survey error are noteworthy: Sampling error is a natural characteristic of every survey based on samples and reflects the uncertainty in any survey result that is attributable to the fact that not the whole population is surveyed. Other factors beyond sampling error that contribute to such potential differences are frame or coverage error (sampling frame of Page owners does not include all relevant businesses but also may include individuals that don’t represent businesses), and nonresponse error. Note that the sample is meant to reflect the population of businesses on Facebook, not the population of small businesses in general. This group of digitized SMEs is itself a community worthy of deeper consideration and of considerable policy interest. However, care should be taken when extrapolating to the population of SMEs in general. Moreover, future work should evaluate the external validity of the sample. Particularly, respondents should be compared to the broader population of SMEs on Facebook, and the economy as a whole.

This dataset provides values for SMALL BUSINESS SENTIMENT reported in several countries. The data includes current values, previous releases, historical highs and record lows, release frequency, reported unit and currency.

SMEs Enterprises Survey: Expectation: Profitability data was reported at 25.000 % Point in Feb 2019. This records an increase from the previous number of 12.000 % Point for Nov 2018. SMEs Enterprises Survey: Expectation: Profitability data is updated quarterly, averaging 24.000 % Point from May 1994 (Median) to Feb 2019, with 100 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 47.000 % Point in Aug 1994 and a record low of -20.000 % Point in Feb 2009. SMEs Enterprises Survey: Expectation: Profitability data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Sensis Pty Ltd. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Australia – Table AU.S045: Sensis Business Index: Small and Medium Business Outlook & Confidence Survey: Old (Discontinued).

Australia SMEs Enterprises Survey: Actual: Size of Workforce data was reported at -4.000 % Point in Feb 2019. This records a decrease from the previous number of 0.000 % Point for Nov 2018. Australia SMEs Enterprises Survey: Actual: Size of Workforce data is updated quarterly, averaging 0.000 % Point from May 1994 (Median) to Feb 2019, with 100 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 8.000 % Point in May 2005 and a record low of -7.000 % Point in Feb 2010. Australia SMEs Enterprises Survey: Actual: Size of Workforce data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Sensis Pty Ltd. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Australia – Table AU.S045: Sensis Business Index: Small and Medium Business Outlook & Confidence Survey: Old (Discontinued).

Small Business Sentiment in Canada increased to 50.90 points in July from 47.50 points in June of 2025. This dataset provides - Canada CFIB Business Barometer Index- actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Australia SMEs Enterprises Survey: Perceptions of The Economy: Current data was reported at -4.000 % Point in Feb 2019. This records a decrease from the previous number of 4.000 % Point for Nov 2018. Australia SMEs Enterprises Survey: Perceptions of The Economy: Current data is updated quarterly, averaging 8.000 % Point from May 1994 (Median) to Feb 2019, with 100 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 56.000 % Point in Nov 2003 and a record low of -72.000 % Point in Feb 2009. Australia SMEs Enterprises Survey: Perceptions of The Economy: Current data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Sensis Pty Ltd. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Australia – Table AU.S045: Sensis Business Index: Small and Medium Business Outlook & Confidence Survey: Old (Discontinued).

Australia SMEs Enterprises Survey: Actual: Prices data was reported at 9.000 % Point in Feb 2019. This records a decrease from the previous number of 10.000 % Point for Nov 2018. Australia SMEs Enterprises Survey: Actual: Prices data is updated quarterly, averaging 11.000 % Point from May 1994 (Median) to Feb 2019, with 100 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 40.000 % Point in Aug 2000 and a record low of 0.000 % Point in Nov 1995. Australia SMEs Enterprises Survey: Actual: Prices data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Sensis Pty Ltd. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Australia – Table AU.S045: Sensis Business Index: Small and Medium Business Outlook & Confidence Survey: Old (Discontinued).

Australia SMEs Enterprises Survey: Actual: Profitability data was reported at -2.000 % Point in Feb 2019. This records a decrease from the previous number of -1.000 % Point for Nov 2018. Australia SMEs Enterprises Survey: Actual: Profitability data is updated quarterly, averaging -2.000 % Point from May 1994 (Median) to Feb 2019, with 100 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 25.000 % Point in May 1994 and a record low of -27.000 % Point in Aug 2011. Australia SMEs Enterprises Survey: Actual: Profitability data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Sensis Pty Ltd. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Australia – Table AU.S045: Sensis Business Index: Small and Medium Business Outlook & Confidence Survey: Old (Discontinued).

This dataset provides values for SMALL BUSINESS SENTIMENT reported in several countries. The data includes current values, previous releases, historical highs and record lows, release frequency, reported unit and currency.