In 2023, 1,751,514 entrepreneurial positions (founder, director or business manager) were occupied by non-helper self-employed, i.e. a 10% increase compared to 2022. Of these positions, 31% were occupied by women and 69% by men. This is what emerged from the new results of Statbel, the Belgian statistical office. 

In comparison, there were 1,433,477 self-employed entrepreneurial positions in 2019, i.e. an increase of 22% in four years, which reflects a sustained growth momentum.

This experimental statistic gives the number of active entrepreneur roles in the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises (CBE) that can be coupled to active individuals in the Crossroads Bank for Social Security (CBSS) in the fourth quarter of a year based on their NISSE declaration. Individuals active in the CBSS are limited to the category of non-helper self-employed. This combination allows us to break down the active self-employed in the CBSS who hold one or more CBE positions by gender, age group, region and/or NACE section.

The sharp increase in the number of entrepreneurial positions between 2022 and 2023 could be explained by an operation to update the data related to the positions in the CBE, particularly following the obligation to bring their legal form into compliance by 31 December 2023 at the latest, according to the 2019 reform of the Code of Companies.

Entrepreneurial positions are the most present in professional, scientific and technical activities

The sectors with the highest number of entrepreneurial positions are:

• Professional, scientific and technical activities (18% of self-employed entrepreneurial positions)
• Wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles (13%)
• Construction (12%)
• Human health and social work activities (10%)

The health sector is the only sector where women are in the majority, accounting for 61% of self-employed entrepreneurial positions. This is also the sector where people under 30 years old are the best represented, with 11% of the total. Conversely, the construction sector is dominated by men, who occupy 92% of entrepreneurial positions.

Most entrepreneurial positions can be found in the Flemish Region

61% of entrepreneurial positions can be found in the Flemish Region (1,068,527 people), 27% in the Walloon Region (481,569 people) and 11% in the Brussels-Capital Region (201,418 people).

Proportionally, entrepreneurship attracts more young women

Women are proportionally more present among the under-30s, where they occupy 40% of self-employed entrepreneurial positions. Conversely, men are in the majority in the 50-59 age group,with 77% of entrepreneurial positions.

In terms of absolute value, the highest number of entrepreneurial positions occupied by women is in the 40-49 age group, i.e. 27% (145,129 people). Among men, the 50-59 age group remains the most represented, accounting for 56% of male entrepreneurs (316,000 people).