EU enterprise birth rates by country
Enterprise creation in 2023 ranged from very dynamic to very stable across the EU. The highest birth rates were in Lithuania (19.6%), Malta (17.1%) and Portugal (16.8%), while the lowest were in Austria (6.2%), Denmark (7.3%) and Italy (7.8%) — roughly a three-fold difference between the most and least dynamic markets.
Source: Eurostat — More businesses opened than dissolved in the EU in 2023 (business demography) (2023)
What it means
Business-creation rates vary roughly three-fold across the EU, with newer market economies churning far faster than established ones such as Austria and Italy. For an operator weighing where to expand or source, birth rate is a rough proxy for market dynamism — high-churn markets offer more new entrants to partner with, but also less settled competition.
Context
Eurostat reports enterprise birth rates for each member state as part of its annual business demography release, here for the 2023 reference year. Birth rate is the number of newly born enterprises as a share of the active stock. A high rate reflects an entrepreneurial, fast-turnover economy; a low rate can reflect either a mature, stable business base or barriers to entry. The figures are not adjusted for sector mix, which varies by country.
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, Brewing & Beverage. 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 · Brewing & Beverage · Dairy