The number of newly-started enterprises in 2021 totaled 78 690 compared to 73 687 in 2020, an increase of 7 per cent.

Start-ups increased by 20 per cent in transport, by 16 per cent in legal and financial consulting, within agriculture and forestry and within retail.

Unless otherwise stated, all comparisons refer to 2020. Within the transport sector the subgroup that showed the biggest increase was post and courier companies with an increase of 36 per cent. Start-up taxi businesses increase by 29 per cent. The number of new companies decreased by 4 per cent in wholesale where the subgroup that displayed the biggest decrease was wholesale of timber and other building material where the number of newly formed companies decreased by 21 per cent.

Distributed by legal form, 50 per cent of companies started in 2021 were limited companies, compared with 49 per cent. The number of newly started limited companies increased by 9 per cent and the number of sole traders by 6 per cent. New trading and limited partnerships decreased by 11 per cent. Trading and limited partnerships accounted for 2 per cent of the newly started companies in 2021. The number of newly started limited companies increased in all sectors with the exception of wholesale and within commercial and marketing, where the number of new companies decreased by 6 and 9 per cent. The largest increase was within culture and leisure where newly started limited companies increased by 27 per cent.

In Stockholm County, the number of new companies increased by 5 per cent, in Västra Götaland County by 8 per cent and in Skåne County by 11 per cent.

The number of new companies led by women increased in 2021 by 7 per cent and the number of companies led by men by 4 per cent. The proportion of start-ups led by women was 33 per cent, 1 per cent higher than the previous year.

The number of new companies led by people of foreign descent increased by 7 per cent and companies led by people of Swedish descent increased by 5 per cent. Among people of foreign descent, start-ups increased by 20 to 30 per cent in finance, insurance and real estate, within radio, TV and film, within agriculture and forestry and within transport. Distributed by origin and industry, 66 per cent of the new companies in restaurant operations were led by people of foreign origin. In transport and storage, this share amounted to 69 per cent. In agriculture, forestry and fishing, 88 per cent of the new companies were led by people of Swedish descent.

In 2021, the number of companies started by people 30 years or younger increased by 15 per cent, by 5 per cent in the age group 31 to 50 years and decreased by 5 per cent in the age group over 50 years. Distributed by age within each industry, 43 per cent of the companies in publishing, radio, TV, film and telecommunications were started by people 30 years or younger. In advertising and marketing, the corresponding share was 47 per cent.