Friday, 31 October 2025
The Czech entrepreneurial sector has recorded one of its strongest performances in recent years, according to new data released by CRIF – Czech Credit Bureau. Between January and September 2025, 63,240 individuals started their own businesses, while 38,620 ceased operations, resulting in a net gain of 24,620 entrepreneurs — nearly five times more than during the same period last year.
Analysts attribute the growth primarily to a significant reduction in business closures, which fell by around 36 percent year-on-year. “September alone brought the highest increase so far this year, with more than 5,100 new entrepreneurs entering the market,” said Věra Kameníčková, an analyst at CRIF. “For every 10 entrepreneurs who closed, 29 new ones started. The market is showing momentum similar to pre-2022 levels, before the mandatory data box system came into effect.”
CRIF’s analysis, based on data from the portal informaceofirmach.cz, shows that nearly one-fifth of new entrepreneurs were registered in Prague (11,674), followed by the Central Bohemian Region (8,612) and South Moravia (7,016). Only Olomouc (+4%) and Karlovy Vary (+2%) recorded an annual rise in new business formations, while most other regions saw slight declines. Across all regions, however, the number of closures fell.
Prague recorded the fastest net growth, with 19 new entrepreneurs for every 10 closures, while the Central Bohemian and South Moravian regions each had 18 per 10. The slowest expansion occurred in Karlovy Vary and Hradec Králové, where 13 new businesses were created for every 10 that closed.
The construction industry remained the most active sector for new business formation, accounting for 9,032 new entrepreneurs, followed by manufacturing (7,341) and professional, scientific and technical services (7,231). The strongest growth was in water management (+19%) and transport and storage (+7%), while health and social care (-20%) and hospitality (-12%) recorded declines.
CRIF’s report also notes a shift in entrepreneur demographics. More than half of all new business owners were aged 18–30, while the number of older entrepreneurs, particularly those aged 51 and above, continued to decline. Meanwhile, around a quarter of all closures involved businesses that had operated for less than five years, suggesting greater market fluidity — or, in some cases, attempts to circumvent consumer credit rules that do not apply to registered entrepreneurs.
Over the past 12 months, from October 2024 to September 2025, a total of 80,854 new entrepreneurs entered the market — just 2 percent fewer than during the previous record year. Independent analyses from other professional sources, including Radio Prague International and PragueDaily, confirm the same trend of strong entrepreneurial growth supported by declining exit rates.
The data underline a cautiously optimistic outlook for Czech entrepreneurship heading into 2026. While the number of new business formations has stabilised, the sharp drop in closures suggests that more small enterprises are surviving — an encouraging sign for long-term business resilience in the Czech economy.
Source: CRIF – Czech Credit Bureau (Press Release, 26 October 2025); Informaceofirmach.cz; Radio Prague International; PragueDaily.
