Time required to start a business in France

France: Time required to start a business was 4 days in 2019. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2019)
4 days
Change on year
up 14.3%
World rank
168th
of 188 countries
All-time high
41 days
in 2003
All-time low
3.5 days
in 2016
Years of data
17
2003–2019

Time required to start a business in France, 2003–2019

0102030402003201120192003: 41 days2004: 7 days2005: 7 days2006: 7 days2007: 7 days2008: 6.5 days2009: 6.5 days2010: 6.5 days2011: 6.5 days2012: 6.5 days2013: 6.5 days2014: 4.5 days2015: 4 days2016: 3.5 days2017: 3.5 days2018: 3.5 days2019: 4 days

Source: Doing Business project, World Bank (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in days.

Analysis

France recorded 4 days for time required to start a business in 2019.

That represents a change of up 14.3% on the previous year and down 38.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, time required to start a business in France peaked at 41 days in 2003 and was at its lowest, 3.5 days, in 2016.

That places France 168th out of 188 countries with data for 2019, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 11.71 days 6.5 days 41 days 7
2010s 4.9 days 3.5 days 6.5 days 10

Countries ranked near France

  1. 166 Oman 4.3 days compare
  2. 167 United States 4.2 days compare
  3. 168 Armenia 4 days compare
  4. 168 Chile 4 days compare
  5. 168 Greece 4 days compare
  6. 168 Moldova 4 days compare
  7. 168 Norway 4 days compare
  8. 168 Rwanda 4 days compare

See the full ranking of 188 places →

More reference data data for France

All data for France →

Frequently asked questions

What is time required to start a business in France?
Time required to start a business in France was 4 days in 2019, according to Doing Business project, World Bank (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest time required to start a business recorded in France?
The highest recorded value was 41 days in 2003.
What is the lowest time required to start a business recorded in France?
The lowest recorded value was 3.5 days in 2016.
How does France rank for time required to start a business?
France ranks 168th out of 188 countries with data for 2019.
Is time required to start a business rising or falling in France?
Over the last ten years it is down 38.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this France data come from?
The figures come from Doing Business project, World Bank (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Time required to start a business. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
Time required to start a business
Unit
days
Source
Doing Business project, World Bank (2025) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
188 places, 2,945 data points, 2003–2019
Last refreshed

Number of calendar days needed to complete the procedures to legally operate a business.