How Long Your Small Business Will Last, According to Data

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Making it to the 2-year mark
The critical years
Survival rates by industry
Total private
Started in 2006
- 1st year: 78.3%.
- 5th year: 45.4%.
- 10th year: 32.8%.
Started in 2011
- 1st year: 79.4%.
- 5th year: 51%.
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
Started in 2006
- 1st year: 82.3%.
- 5th year: 57.4%.
- 10th year: 45.0%.
Started in 2011
- 1st year: 86.3%.
- 5th year: 66.3%.
Mining, quarrying and oil and gas extraction
Started in 2006
- 1st year: 81.8%.
- 5th year: 51.1%.
- 10th year: 32.2%.
Started in 2011
- 1st year: 83.5%.
- 5th year: 44.6%.
Utilities
Started in 2006
- 1st year: 84.0%.
- 5th year: 56.6%.
- 10th year: 45.3%.
Started in 2011
- 1st year: 83.5%.
- 5th year: 44.6%.
Construction
Started in 2006
- 1st year: 74.3%.
- 5th year: 33.2%.
- 10th year: 24.8%.
Started in 2011
- 1st year: 74.1%.
- 5th year: 50.4%.
Manufacturing
Started in 2006
- 1st year: 82.8%.
- 5th year: 49.4%.
- 10th year: 38.1%.
Started in 2011
- 1st year: 81.3%.
- 5th year: 55.2%.
Wholesale trade
Started in 2006
- 1st year: 78.5%.
- 5th year: 43.8%.
- 10th year: 28.8%.
Started in 2011
- 1st year: 79.3%.
- 5th year: 46.3%.
Retail trade
Started in 2006
- 1st year: 83.1%.
- 5th year: 52.1%.
- 10th year: 39.0%.
Started in 2011
- 1st year: 84.1%.
- 5th year: 56.1%.
Transportation and warehousing
Started in 2006
- 1st year: 76.9%.
- 5th year: 41.1%.
- 10th year: 28.4%.
Started in 2011
- 1st year: 79.4%.
- 5th year: 49.6%.
Information
Started in 2006
- 1st year: 75.2%.
- 5th year: 41.9%.
- 10th year: 25.6%.
Started in 2011
- 1st year: 76.1%.
- 5th year: 41.3%.
Finance and insurance
Started in 2006
- 1st year: 78.0%.
- 5th year: 43.4%.
- 10th year: 32.5%.
Started in 2011
- 1st year: 79.5%.
- 5th year: 51.7%.
Real estate, rental and leasing
Started in 2006
- 1st year: 78.0%.
- 5th year: 40.1%.
- 10th year: 29.1%.
Started in 2011
- 1st year: 82.3%.
- 5th year: 56.5%.
Professional, scientific and technical services
Started in 2006
- 1st year: 77.4%.
- 5th year: 44.5%.
- 10th year: 30.1%.
Started in 2011
- 1st year: 76.3%.
- 5th year: 45.2%.
Management of companies and enterprises
Started in 2006
- 1st year: 82.0%.
- 5th year: 53.3%.
- 10th year: 41.7%.
Started in 2011
- 1st year: 82.1%.
- 5th year: 53.4%.
Administrative and waste services
Started in 2006
- 1st year: 77.7%.
- 5th year: 44.1%.
- 10th year: 31.2%.
Started in 2011
- 1st year: 77.5%.
- 5th year: 49.1%.
Educational services
Started in 2006
- 1st year: 81.4%.
- 5th year: 53.6%.
- 10th year: 38.0%.
Started in 2011
- 1st year: 81.8%.
- 5th year: 53.7%.
Started in 2006
- 1st year: 81.4%.
- 5th year: 55.9%.
- 10th year: 42.5%.
Started in 2011
- 1st year: 87.2%.
- 5th year: 60.2%.
Arts, entertainment and recreation
Started in 2006
- 1st year: 77.9%.
- 5th year: 41.8%.
- 10th year: 27.4%.
Started in 2011
- 1st year: 79.3%.
- 5th year: 51.8%.
Accommodation and food services
Started in 2006
- 1st year: 81.6%.
- 5th year: 50.3%.
- 10th year: 36.0%.
Started in 2011
- 1st year: 80.9%.
- 5th year: 52.5%.
Other services (except public administration)
Started in 2006
- 1st year: 80.9%.
- 5th year: 51.2%.
- 10th year: 37.3%.
Started in 2011
- 1st year: 81.7%.
- 5th year: 54.9%.