Unternehmen: Zahl der Gewerbegründungen steigt – NRW vorne

The number of business startups is on the rise in Germany. According to an evaluation by the Institute for Medium-sized Enterprise Research (IfM) in Bonn, 143,000 commercial company formations were registered in the first half of the year. In the first six months of 2024, the figure was 132,000. Between January and June of this year, the number of company closures stood at 127,000, the same as in the first half of 2024.

However, a comparison with 2025 cannot be made due to errors in data collection. IfM expert Peter Kranzusch noted that despite a weak economy, more people are willing to take the risk of becoming self-employed due to rising unemployment. According to the evaluation, around 53,600 companies with a main establishment were registered between January and June across Germany, which is 8,000 more than in the first half of 2024.

These companies are particularly important economically as they usually create jobs. At the same time, 35,700 of these companies were closed, which is 2,100 more than in the first six months of 2024. Particularly many startups and closures occurred in trade in North Rhine-Westphalia, with 11,000 businesses registered, which is 1,320 more than in the first half of 2024.

Other states that saw significant increases included Bavaria (9,160, +1,750) and Baden-Württemberg (6,160, +1,230). Hesse also saw a notable increase, raising the number by more than 1,100 to just over 4,200. The fewest startups occurred in Bremen, Saarland, and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Kranzusch pointed out that a large number of business startups were concentrated in trade, catering, construction, and other economic services. These sectors also had the highest number of company closures.