France hits record business creation levels amid digital shift

France has reached a record high in business creations, with 119,307 new enterprises registered in September, according to Insee data. This peak occurs despite a fragile economic climate characterized by low growth and rising unemployment. The surge is driven largely by individual businesses and companies, while micro-entrepreneur registrations saw a slight decline.

Sectoral performance varies significantly. The information and communication sector has seen a 55% increase in creations over the last three months, highlighting the growing importance of digital services. Conversely, the industrial and transport sectors have experienced declines.

Parallel to this entrepreneurial activity, the 2026 France Num barometer indicates an acceleration in digital adoption among French small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Approximately 40% of these businesses now utilize artificial intelligence, a 14-point increase from the previous year. Among SMEs specifically, AI usage has risen to 53%, with most applications focusing on text, voice, or image generation.