EU enterprise birth and death rates
In 2023 the EU enterprise birth rate was 10.5% and the death rate 8.5%: about 3.5 million new businesses were created against around 2.8 million that closed, leaving a net gain. The newly born enterprises created roughly 3.7 million jobs that year.
Source: Eurostat — More businesses opened than dissolved in the EU in 2023 (business demography) (2023)
What it means
More businesses opened than closed across the EU in 2023, with births outpacing deaths by two percentage points and adding millions of jobs. For an operator the figure is a useful read on business-environment churn: high turnover means both fresh competition and fresh suppliers and customers entering the market every year.
Context
Eurostat's business demography statistics track enterprise births and deaths each year across the business economy. The 2023 birth rate of 10.5% and death rate of 8.5% are EU-wide averages; the death figures were preliminary at publication because a closure is only confirmed after a firm has been inactive for two years. In most member states births exceeded deaths, though several — including Germany, Denmark and Poland — recorded the reverse.
How to interpret this data
About the source: This data comes from Eurostat. Public datasets like this are the foundation of fact-based decision-making in industry. When you see these numbers cited in vendor proposals or consultant reports, remember: the raw data is freely available, and the value is in how you interpret it for your specific plant and situation.
Where this matters: How to reduce industrial energy costs are built on insights like the data shown here. Rather than treat data in isolation, read the deeper guides to see how these trends translate into actionable levers for your plant.
Sector relevance: This dataset is especially relevant to Food Processing, Chemicals. These sectors face the trends and challenges you see in this chart daily — energy cost pressure, the push for decarbonization, adoption of AI and predictive maintenance. Use this data to benchmark your plant against the industry average and identify where you lag or lead.
How to use this data: Take the headline number but look deeper at the chart. Is it growing or shrinking? Which segments or regions drive the trend? Does your plant's data align, or are you an outlier? Outliers are often where the best opportunities hide — either an efficiency gap you can exploit, or a leading practice you can copy.
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How to Reduce Industrial Energy Costs: Practical Quick Wins · Energy Audit
Relevant to: Food Processing · Chemicals · Brewing & Beverage