Share of people who report having intentions to start business in United States

United States: Share of people who report having intentions to start business was 14.54 in 2017. ▲ Rising

Latest (2017)
14.54
Change on year
up 24.0%
World rank
37th
of 66 countries
All-time high
14.54
in 2017
All-time low
6.87
in 2009
Years of data
16
2002–2017

Share of people who report having intentions to start business in United States, 2002–2017

0510152002200920172002: 9.22003: 92004: 82005: 92006: 7.12007: 8.22008: 6.92009: 6.92010: 7.32011: 10.92012: 12.52013: 12.22014: 12.12015: 12.32016: 11.72017: 14.5

Source: Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (2018) – processed by Our World in Data.

Analysis

In 2017, share of people who report having intentions to start business in United States stood at 14.54. That is the highest value across all 16 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 24.0% on the previous year and up 77.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of people who report having intentions to start business in United States peaked at 14.54 in 2017 and was at its lowest, 6.87, in 2009.

That places United States 37th out of 66 countries with data for 2017, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 16 years of available data.

Share of people who report having intentions to start business in United States, year by year

Annual values for Share of people who report having intentions to start business in United States, 2002 to 2017.
Year Value Change
2002 9.23
2003 8.97 -2.8%
2004 8.03 -10.5%
2005 9.01 +12.2%
2006 7.11 -21.1%
2007 8.18 +15.0%
2008 6.9 -15.6%
2009 6.87 -0.4%
2010 7.33 +6.7%
2011 10.92 +49.0%
2012 12.53 +14.7%
2013 12.18 -2.8%
2014 12.08 -0.8%
2015 12.35 +2.2%
2016 11.73 -5.0%
2017 14.54 +24.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 8.04 6.87 9.23 8
2010s 11.71 7.33 14.54 8

Countries ranked near United States

  1. 34 China 15.29 compare
  2. 35 Brazil 15.25 compare
  3. 36 Hungary 15.11 compare
  4. 38 Slovenia 14.23 compare
  5. 39 Canada 14.13 compare
  6. 40 Argentina 13.36 compare

See the full ranking of 66 places →

More reference data data for United States

All data for United States →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of people who report having intentions to start business in United States?
Share of people who report having intentions to start business in United States was 14.54 in 2017, according to Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (2018) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of people who report having intentions to start business recorded in United States?
The highest recorded value was 14.54 in 2017.
What is the lowest share of people who report having intentions to start business recorded in United States?
The lowest recorded value was 6.87 in 2009.
How does United States rank for share of people who report having intentions to start business?
United States ranks 37th out of 66 countries with data for 2017.
Is share of people who report having intentions to start business rising or falling in United States?
Over the last ten years it is up 77.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this United States data come from?
The figures come from Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (2018) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of people who report having intentions to start business. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share of people who report having intentions to start business in United States. Statizoid, drawing on Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (2018) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 02 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-people-who-report-having-intentions-to-start-business/united-states/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of people who report having intentions to start business
Source
Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (2018) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
66 places, 706 data points, 2002–2017
Last refreshed

Percentage of 18-64 population who intend to start a business within three years (individuals already involved in any stage of entrepreneurial activity excluded) plotted against GDP per capita, adjusted for inflation and differences in living costs between countries.