Germany sees highest number of new business startups since 2010

Germany experienced a significant surge in new business formations in 2025, with approximately 183,000 companies founded. According to estimates from the ZEW Economic Research Institute and Creditreform, this represents a 7.7 percent increase from the previous year, marking the highest level of entrepreneurship since 2010.

The growth was primarily driven by small businesses without commercial register entries. In contrast, the number of new companies with formal commercial register entries declined by 3.3 percent, indicating a continued weakness in larger, more capital-intensive startups.

However, growth-oriented and innovative startups showed notable strength. Approximately 3,100 such companies were established in 2025, a nearly 20 percent increase compared to 2024. Within this group, technology-oriented service providers saw a significant rise, with roughly 1,400 new firms entering the market, a 27 percent increase over the prior year.