In Germany, more women and younger people are again taking the plunge into self-employment.
This is the result of the latest start-up monitor from the state development bank KfW, which is based on a representative survey of around 50,000 people.
After the start-ups in the Corona year 2020 had declined, the number rose by 13 percent last year to around 607,000 - and thus returned to its pre-crisis level.
The number of female founders increased at an above-average rate.
25 percent more women founded a company than in 2020, the The pandemic, the
The increase in business start-ups is "encouraging", said KfW chief economist Fritzi Köhler-Geib.
"However, we are at very low levels due to the multi-year downtrend," she said.
For comparison: At the beginning of the 2000s, around 1.5 million people were still self-employed every year.
This year, the uncertainty caused by the Ukraine war and the supply bottlenecks could mean that potential founders would be reluctant to give up a permanent job, said Köhler-Geib.
High energy prices and rising interest rates are also forcing founders to rethink their business ideas.
Nevertheless, it is to be expected that start-up activity this year will be at a similar level as in 2021, because new business opportunities are also emerging - especially in the field of renewable energies and energy efficiency.