Economy · INSEE Mélodi · monthly creations summed annually · latest month 2026-03. Green proxy without detailed NAF codes.
Business creation: over one million per year, but the "green" angle remains a limited proxy
In 2025, France registered 1,165,795 business creations. The monthly series confirms monthly cadence (latest: 2026-03). What about transition-related sectors?
Overview: annual business creations
Business creations in France (annual total)
Data details
Business creations 2025 (annual)
1,165,795
France · all legal forms · INSEE Mélodi
Latest month (2026-03)
113,068
Raw monthly series · new legal units
Gap vs 5-year average (2025)
+12.6 %
Annual total · rolling prior years
Micro-enterprise share (2025)
65 %
Companies and other: 35%
Top sector growth (2024→2025)
Commerce · +11.1 %
Annual change in creations by aggregated sector
Green transition proxy (2025)
384,941 · 33.0 %
Construction (FZ) + pro. services (MN) · editorial proxy
Key facts
- In 2025, France recorded 1,165,795 business creations (all legal forms), per INSEE.
- Latest available month (2026-03): 113,068 creations · monthly raw series.
- Compared to the 5-year prior average, 2025 shows +12.6% additional creations.
- Micro-enterprises account for 65% of creations in 2025.
- Strongest 2024 → 2025 growth: Retail trade (+11.1%).
- "Green transition" proxy (construction + pro. services): 384,941 creations (33.0% of total) · no detailed NAF codes.
Business creation: entrepreneurial momentum and limits of the "green" lens
Business creations count new legal units registered each month in France (micro-enterprises, companies, etc.). This tracks appetite for entrepreneurship but says nothing about survival or project viability.
Momentum · Entrepreneurial dynamism
Overall dynamism
"Post-Covid record levels"
After a rebound in 2021, annual creations stabilised above one million legal units per year, driven by micro-enterprise status.
Trade, business services and construction account for a large share of registrations, reflecting France's economic structure rather than a targeted sectoral transition.
Green proxy · Green transition proxy
Green transition proxy
"Construction + pro. services"
The "green transition" angle relies on an editorial proxy: construction (FZ) and professional/technical services (MN), sectors often linked to renovation or environmental services.
The INSEE dataset provides no detailed NAF codes: renewable energy, water or waste cannot be isolated. Any "green" reading remains indicative.
Why multiple series?
Why does the "green" proxy stay modest? Construction and professional services are only a fraction of creations, dominated by trade and general services. Without fine NAF breakdown, creations cannot be attributed to the energy transition.
Analogy: business creations count births, not business health. Like counting births in a country without life expectancy: a signal of optimism, not long-term success.
What this is not
- Measures registrations, not investment or jobs created.
- 2023 data are flagged "low reliability" by INSEE; annual series include them cautiously.
- Does not replace a private investment tracker (OECD / World Bank).
Business creations by sector in 2025 (top 10)
What these figures do not show
Creations = new registered legal units (BURE), not survival or jobs. Green proxy: construction (FZ) + professional services (MN), without fine NAF breakdown. 2023 data flagged low reliability by INSEE.
Sources
Créations d'entreprises – DS_SIDE_CREA_ENT_SERIESINSEE · 2026-05-29