42 thousand more enterprises in 2023 (+0.7%)

Source: press office Unioncamere e InfoCamere

Rome, Jan. 22, 2024 – More construction companies, business consultants and bed-and-breakfasts. Fewer enterprises in trade, agriculture and manufacturing. These are some of the evidences emerging from Movimprese data on the trend of business demographics in 2023, compiled by Unioncamere and InfoCamere on the basis of the Chambers of Commerce Business Register.

To be able to count on 42 thousand more businesses at the end of this year, which was lived under the name of uncertainty, seems to me to be a good result – comments Unioncamere President Andrea Prete – The sectors a where the greatest growth is concentrated were largely predictable. Above all, the increase in tourism, by virtue of the post-pandemic recovery, and in business consulting activities, and, more generally, in Professional, scientific and technical activities, characterized by the presence of qualified human capital, capable of making an important contribution to development.

In an economic scenario characterized by inflation, geopolitical tensions and technological changes, the 2023 balance for Italian businesses remains positive, but not for all areas of activity. In fact, more than 70% of the additional 42,000  firms registered in the last 12 months operate in only three macro-sectors: construction, tourism and professional activities.

The most dynamic, in terms of entrepreneurial growth, is the construction sector, which, despite the uncertainty about the prospects for construction-related bonuses that characterized 2023, counted 13,541 more businesses at the end of the past 12 months than in 2022 (+1.62%).

Professional, scientific and technical activities also did well, showing a significant increase of 11,000 businesses at the end of 2023, driven by a “boom” in business and administrative-management consulting (positive balance of more than 6,000 businesses and a relative 8% change).

Positive year also for the vacation sector, where there were 3,380 additional lodging activities (+5.13%) and 3,015 more bars and restaurants than in 2022 (+0.77%).

Real estate activities also contributed significantly to the growth, with 5,197 more businesses at the end of 2023 than the previous year (+1.72%).

In the face of these positive results, the more traditional sectors continue to report a shrinking business base. For trade, 2023 ended with an overall reduction of 8,653 businesses (-0.6% year-on-year), but a deeper analysis of the data shows that the selection process in this sector mainly affected retail trade, which lost nearly 7,700 in 2023. In agriculture, the year-end balance sheet shows an overall reduction of 7,546 firms (-1.05% ) while manufacturing shows an overall loss of 2,962 firms (-0.56%).

A performance for the latter sector that touches all subdvisions with the sole exception of businesses in repair, maintenance and installation of machinery and equipment (+1,137 units), accompanied by a substantial stability of shipbuilding, aerospace and rail-tram industries (+56), beverages (+37).

Looking at the territory, the data indicate growth in the business fabric of all four geographical areas. With its 14,948 more businesses, the South determined more than a third of the entire annual balance, pulling away from the Northwest (+11,210) and the Center (+10,626).

Entrepreneurial balance sheets are positive for seventeen of Italy’s twenty regions. In absolute terms, Lombardy (10,562 more businesses), Lazio (+9,710) and Campania (+6,351) did best. On the other hand, Lazio(+1.59%) recorded the strongest growth in relative terms; followed by Lombardy (+1.12%) and Campania (+1.04%).

Reading the data from the perspective of the organizational forms of businesses confirms the structural strengthening of the entrepreneurial system, which has been taking place for years. The entire positive balance in 2023 is explained by the growth of capital companies: 57,846 more in absolute terms, or +3.1% in line with what was recorded in 2022. On the other hand, sole proprietorships, which continue to account for half of the existing business stock (50.6%), show a decline of nearly 2,000, registering, in relative terms, a decrease approaching 0.1%.

The survey data are available by clicking here.

See the full text in the attached document.