The short version
2026 editionKey takeaways
Each takeaway links to its canonical data row. Reported figures belong to their cited producer; modeled results are labeled as calculations.
- All private establishments, birth cohort year ended March 2024: establishment survival at age 1: 77.9% (March 2025 observation of the 2024 cohort).U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- All private establishments, birth cohort year ended March 2020: establishment survival at age 5: 51.4% (March 2025 observation of the 2020 cohort).U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- All private establishments, birth cohort year ended March 2015: establishment survival at age 10: 34.7% (March 2025 observation of the 2015 cohort).U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- All private establishments, birth cohort year ended March 2015: establishment survival at age 1: 79.6% (March 2016 observation of the 2015 cohort).U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- All private establishments, birth cohort year ended March 2015: establishment survival at age 5: 50.2% (March 2020 observation of the 2015 cohort).U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Professional, scientific, and technical services, birth cohort year ended March 2015: establishment survival at age 10: 34.3% (March 2025 observation of the 2015 cohort).U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Manufacturing, birth cohort year ended March 2015: establishment survival at age 10: 45.3% (March 2025 observation of the 2015 cohort).U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Retail trade, birth cohort year ended March 2015: establishment survival at age 10: 44.2% (March 2025 observation of the 2015 cohort).U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Information, birth cohort year ended March 2015: establishment survival at age 10: 30% (March 2025 observation of the 2015 cohort).U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Finance and insurance, birth cohort year ended March 2015: establishment survival at age 10: 38.4% (March 2025 observation of the 2015 cohort).U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Health care and social assistance, birth cohort year ended March 2015: establishment survival at age 10: 36.4% (March 2025 observation of the 2015 cohort).U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Accommodation and food services, birth cohort year ended March 2015: establishment survival at age 10: 41.6% (March 2025 observation of the 2015 cohort).U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
What share of employer establishments survive over time?
Survival depends on both the age being measured and the birth cohort. The table follows each cohort separately and leaves horizons that have not yet been observed blank.
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| Birth cohort (year ended March) | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5 | Year 6 | Year 7 | Year 8 | Year 9 | Year 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 77.9% | Not yet observed | Not yet observed | Not yet observed | Not yet observed | Not yet observed | Not yet observed | Not yet observed | Not yet observed | Not yet observed |
| 2023 | 78.2% | 65.9% | Not yet observed | Not yet observed | Not yet observed | Not yet observed | Not yet observed | Not yet observed | Not yet observed | Not yet observed |
| 2022 | 76.3% | 64.8% | 56.3% | Not yet observed | Not yet observed | Not yet observed | Not yet observed | Not yet observed | Not yet observed | Not yet observed |
| 2021 | 79.1% | 67% | 59.1% | 52.4% | Not yet observed | Not yet observed | Not yet observed | Not yet observed | Not yet observed | Not yet observed |
| 2020 | 80.9% | 72.3% | 63.6% | 57.2% | 51.4% | Not yet observed | Not yet observed | Not yet observed | Not yet observed | Not yet observed |
| 2019 | 79.2% | 70.2% | 64% | 56.7% | 51.5% | 46.8% | Not yet observed | Not yet observed | Not yet observed | Not yet observed |
| 2018 | 79.4% | 68.7% | 62.1% | 57.3% | 51.9% | 47.4% | 43.3% | Not yet observed | Not yet observed | Not yet observed |
| 2017 | 79.1% | 68.6% | 60.7% | 55.5% | 51.6% | 47% | 43.2% | 39.8% | Not yet observed | Not yet observed |
| 2016 | 79.6% | 68.8% | 61.2% | 55% | 50.7% | 47.4% | 43.3% | 39.9% | 36.9% | Not yet observed |
| 2015 | 79.6% | 69.1% | 61.4% | 55.4% | 50.2% | 46.4% | 43.6% | 40.3% | 37.4% | 34.7% |
Percent of the original cohort surviving. The freshest one-year, five-year and ten-year observations describe different cohorts and must not be read as one cohort’s trajectory.
Primary source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — checked September 12, 2026
How do survival rates compare across selected industries?
A common birth cohort makes industry horizons comparable. These selected industries all follow establishments born in the year ended March 2015 through the same one-, five- and ten-year observation dates.
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| Industry | One year: March 2016 | Five years: March 2020 | Ten years: March 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 89.8% | 61% | 45.3% |
| Retail trade | 90.2% | 61.7% | 44.2% |
| Information | 80.8% | 46.8% | 30% |
| Finance and insurance | 85.5% | 56.2% | 38.4% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 81.6% | 50.3% | 34.3% |
| Health care and social assistance | 84.6% | 57.3% | 36.4% |
| Accommodation and food services | 88.2% | 58.5% | 41.6% |
Selected industries, not an exhaustive league table. The data describe establishments in these industries, not the chance that an individual founder or company will fail.
Primary sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — checked September 12, 2026 · U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — checked September 12, 2026 · U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — checked September 12, 2026 · U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — checked September 12, 2026 · U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — checked September 12, 2026 · U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — checked September 12, 2026 · U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — checked September 12, 2026
Does establishment non-survival mean a business went bankrupt?
No. An establishment is a business location with employment; it is not necessarily an independent company. Non-survival is not a bankruptcy statistic, and one firm may operate many establishments.
BLS dates establishment births using first positive employment. Changes in activity, location structure and other business events mean “did not survive” cannot be relabeled “bankrupt” or “founder failed.”
Primary source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — checked September 12, 2026
Are these specifically small-business survival rates?
No. The published industry survival tables cover private-sector employer establishments across sizes. They are useful context for small-business research, but they do not isolate small firms or nonemployer businesses.
The title reflects the question readers commonly ask; the measured population is stated here, above the tables and in each downloadable row. We do not claim that software use explains these outcomes.
Primary source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — checked September 12, 2026
How this report was built
Methodology and limitations
- We extracted national cohorts born in the years ended March 2015–2024 and their available post-birth observations through March 2025 from BLS Business Employment Dynamics Table 7.
- The selected-industry comparison holds the 2015 birth cohort constant and compares survival at one, five and ten years. Published percentages are retained rather than recomputed from rounded or mismatched denominators.
- Every observation records cohort, observation year, age, surviving establishment count and the exact source-table locator in the downloadable ledger.
- This is the September 2026 editorial edition using the observations available in the checked tables, not a claim that 2026 survival outcomes have been released. The rolling text tables do not state a publication date; it is left null rather than invented.
What these numbers cannot tell you
- An employer establishment is not the same unit as a firm, owner, startup or sole proprietor. These figures must not be quoted as bankruptcy rates.
- Different birth cohorts experience different economic conditions. A comparison across cohort years does not identify the cause of survival differences.
- Selected industries are not exhaustive. The data do not test whether any particular management practice or software improves survival.
Freshness and corrections
Maintained by the Workspace369 editorial team. Review annually after BLS updates its establishment-age and survival tables. Check links quarterly. The edition date changes only when the evidence or content is substantively reviewed; it does not change the underlying observation period.
First edition: . Data extraction, source attribution and arithmetic checked for this edition. No independent peer review is claimed.
Found an error or a newer primary release? Send a correction with the source and affected statistic. Confirmed corrections should be recorded in the revision history before republishing.
Primary sources and provenance
Every reported numeric cell links directly to its producer. The downloads include exact table or workbook locators, observation periods, access dates, formulas and input references.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsBusiness Employment Dynamics Table 7: Manufacturing establishment survival ↗Publication date not recorded; see the original source. Accessed September 12, 2026.U.S. federal government data; attribution requested. No agency endorsement.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsBusiness Employment Dynamics Table 7: Retail trade establishment survival ↗Publication date not recorded; see the original source. Accessed September 12, 2026.U.S. federal government data; attribution requested. No agency endorsement.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsBusiness Employment Dynamics Table 7: Information establishment survival ↗Publication date not recorded; see the original source. Accessed September 12, 2026.U.S. federal government data; attribution requested. No agency endorsement.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsBusiness Employment Dynamics Table 7: Finance and insurance establishment survival ↗Publication date not recorded; see the original source. Accessed September 12, 2026.U.S. federal government data; attribution requested. No agency endorsement.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsBusiness Employment Dynamics Table 7: Professional, scientific, and technical services establishment survival ↗Publication date not recorded; see the original source. Accessed September 12, 2026.U.S. federal government data; attribution requested. No agency endorsement.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsBusiness Employment Dynamics Table 7: Health care and social assistance establishment survival ↗Publication date not recorded; see the original source. Accessed September 12, 2026.U.S. federal government data; attribution requested. No agency endorsement.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsBusiness Employment Dynamics Table 7: Accommodation and food services establishment survival ↗Publication date not recorded; see the original source. Accessed September 12, 2026.U.S. federal government data; attribution requested. No agency endorsement.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsBusiness Employment Dynamics Table 7: All private establishments establishment survival ↗Publication date not recorded; see the original source. Accessed September 12, 2026.U.S. federal government data; attribution requested. No agency endorsement.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsEstablishment age and survival: frequently asked questions ↗Publication date not recorded; see the original source. Accessed September 12, 2026.U.S. federal government data; attribution requested. No agency endorsement.
Made to be checked, then cited
How to cite this report
For a source-reported statistic, credit the original publisher and link to the exact row here when using our compilation. For a modeled result, cite Workspace369 and include the assumptions. Linking to this page does not make us the original producer of third-party data.
Workspace369. (2026-09-12). Small Business Survival Rate Statistics: 2026 Data Guide. https://workspace369.com/research/small-business-survival-rate-statistics/. Primary sources and observation periods as listed in the report.
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