Press Release: Mercantile Companies Statistics (MC). March 2024. Provisional data.

Main results

The number of mercantile companies created decreased by 11.6% in March compared to the same month in 2023.
The number of dissolved companies decreased by 21.8% compared to the same month in 2023.

More information

Annex of tables (includes information from the Autonomous Communities)
Detailed results

In March, 10,683 mercantile companies were incorporated, 11.6% less than in the same month of 2023. The subscribed capital for incorporation recorded an annual decrease of 10.1%, while the average subscribed capital (44,242 euros) increased by 1.6%.

On the other hand, 2,499 companies increased their capital, 16.5% fewer than in March 2023. The subscribed capital in the increases decreased by 8.4%.

The number of dissolved mercantile companies decreased by 21.8% in annual rate. 82.3% of them did so voluntarily.

Mercantile companies created, increasing their capital and dissolved. March 2024

{
  "mode": "table",
  "category": [
    "Total",
    "% Variation",
    "Monthly",
    "Annual",
    "Annual accumulated",
    "Mercantile companies created",
    "Number",
    "Capital subscribed (thousands of euros)",
    "Average capital subscribed (euros)",
    "Mercantile companies increasing their capital",
    "Mercantile companies dissolved",
    "- Voluntary",
    "- Merger",
    "- Other"
  ],
  "col": [
    [
      "0",
      ""
    ],
    [
      "1",
      "2"
    ],
    [
      "",
      "3"
    ],
    [
      "",
      "4"
    ]
  ],
  "row": [
    [
      "5",
      "6"
    ],
    [
      "",
      "7"
    ],
    [
      "",
      "8"
    ],
    [
      "9",
      "6"
    ],
    [
      "",
      "7"
    ],
    [
      "",
      "8"
    ],
    [
      "10",
      "6"
    ],
    [
      "",
      "11"
    ],
    [
      "",
      "12"
    ],
    [
      "",
      "13"
    ]
  ],
  "data": [
    "10,683",
    "-2.5",
    "-11.6",
    "2.0",
    "472,639",
    "-10.5",
    "-10.1",
    "34.4",
    "44,242",
    "-8.2",
    "1.6",
    "31.7",
    "2,499",
    "-16.8",
    "-16.5",
    "-2.1",
    "1,699,493",
    "-43.2",
    "-8.4",
    "7.4",
    "680,069",
    "-31.7",
    "9.6",
    "9.7",
    "1,828",
    "-28.2",
    "-21.8",
    "-7.5",
    "1,505",
    "-30.4",
    "-24.3",
    "-5.3",
    "126",
    "-29.2",
    "-36.4",
    "-36.7",
    "197",
    "-4.4",
    "28.8",
    "21.4"
  ],
  "textLad": [
    "",
    "",
    "",
    ""
  ],
  "title": "",
  "leftSideCols": 2,
  "rowsHeader": 2
}

Results by main economic activity principal

19.2% of the mercantile companies incorporated in March corresponded to Trade, and 16.2% to Real estate, financial and insurance companies. As for the dissolved companies, 21.2% were in Trade and 18.2% in Construction.

Mercantile companies created by main economic activity. March 2024

Percentage

Mercantile companies dissolved by main economic activity. March 2024

Percentage

The economic activity with the largest subscribed capital of mercantile companies incorporated was Real estate, financial and insurance, with 218.24 million euros. In turn, Information and communications companies had the lowest capital, with 3.59 million.

Capital subscribed of mercantile companies created by main economic activity. March 2024

Thousands of euros

Results by Autonomous Community

Comunidad Foral de Navarra (7.0%), Cataluña (5.1%) and La Rioja (4.0%) recorded the highest annual growth in the number of mercantile companies incorporated.

In turn, Aragón (-27.3%), Castilla y León (-27.1%) and Región de Murcia (-20.6%) recorded the highest decreases.

Annual variation in mercantile companies created by Autonomous Community. March 2024

Percentage

{
  "mode": "chart",
  "type": "barrashorizontalesprensa",
  "width": "170mm",
  "height": "120mm",
  "legend": false,
  "valueAxis": false,
  "tags": true,
  "series": [
    { "label": "Annual variation (%)" }
  ],
  "ticks": [
    "Aragón",
    "Castilla y León",
    "Murcia, Región de",
    "Extremadura",
    "Comunitat Valenciana",
    "Andalucía",
    "Madrid, Comunidad de",
    "País Vasco",
    "Canarias",
    "TOTAL",
    "Asturias, Principado de",
    "Balears, Illes",
    "Galicia",
    "Cantabria",
    "Castilla - La Mancha",
    "Rioja, La",
    "Cataluña",
    "Navarra, Comunidad Foral de"
  ],
  "values": [
    [
      "-27.3",
      "-27.1",
      "-20.6",
      "-20.1",
      "-19.1",
      "-15.6",
      "-14.8",
      "-13.8",
      "-12.6",
      "-11.6",
      "-9.3",
      "-9.2",
      "-6.4",
      "-2.5",
      "-2.3",
      "4.0",
      "5.1",
      "7.0"
    ]
  ],
  "ratioMargen": 0.15,
  "angleTick": "0",
  "angleTag": "0",
  "fillToZero": true,
  "colors": [
    "#457E76",
    "#A45C0A",
    "#0071AD",
    "#756F0F",
    "#C33C9D",
    "#677746"
  ],
  "config": {
    "marcaTick": {
      "color": "#9e1834",
      "value": "TOTAL"
    }
  }
}

Revision and updating of data

The data for 2024 are provisional and will be reviewed when the data for the same period next year are published. All results of this operation are available on INEBase.

Nota metodológica

The Mercantile Companies Statistics were created by Order of 30 April 1938. Their objective is to measure the demographics of companies, providing monthly information, at provincial and Autonomous Community level, on the companies incorporated, dissolved and those in which there have been changes in capital.

The source of information is the Central Mercantile Registry, which collects all provincial information on the registration of companies and entrepreneurs, as well as mercantile acts determined by law.

Type of survey:: continuous monthly survey.
Population scope:: set of companies registered in the Central Mercantile Register.
Geographical scope:: the entire national territory, by Autonomous Communities and provinces.
Reference period of the results:: the calendar month.
Reference period of the information:: the calendar month.
Collection method:: official records.

More information on the methodology and the standardised methodological report.

INE statistics are produced in accordance with the Code of Good Practice for European Statistics. More information on Quality at the INE and the Code of Best Practice.