According to a recently released, though not yet fully public, report on corporate foundation by the German Chamber of Industry and Commerce (DIHK), the interest in starting a business is rising, specifically driven by concerns about job security. The figure shows that 36 percent of those interested in starting a business want to do so primarily because they lack alternative employment options-a level that is the highest recorded in eleven years.
The report is based on experiences and feedback gathered from approximately 350 entrepreneurial consultants across Germany’s 79 Chambers of Industry and Commerce (IHKs), along with an analysis of the DIHK’s start-up services. These consultant insights were gathered in the spring of 2026, with the overall report relying on nearly 200,000 contacts, including prospective entrepreneurs engaging in initial discussions, consulting, and attending start-up events.
The data reveals a significant rise in the number of new firms established in 2025, with a jump of over 20,000 compared to the previous year, reaching around 171,000. However, this figure is notably lower than the numbers recorded between 2010 and 2020, when the average annual count was closer to 100,000.
The DIHK noted that consulting discussions increasingly feature not just the desire for entrepreneurial self-employment, but also considerable anxiety regarding individual career futures. This emerging theme is a major finding of the DIHK’s 2026 Start-up Report.
Simultaneously, IHK consultants observed weaknesses in numerous business plans submitted, particularly regarding financial planning and commercial foresight. The most common barriers cited are complex bureaucratic regulations and tax law. The report found that 73 percent of new founders wished for simpler rules-ranking as the top concern-with simpler tax legislation being the second most desired feature, cited by 61 percent.
Despite showing an increase in start-up interest, DIHK President Peter Adrian cautioned that this does not translate into a broad burst of entrepreneurial activity. He noted that this finding aligns with the generally stagnant economic development. Nearly four out of ten interested individuals primarily intend to start a business due to fears over their job security in the current economic climate and the transformation occurring across various sectors. He characterized starting a business often as “more of an escape strategy than a fixed wish to explore new market opportunities as an entrepreneur.”
