Female Entrepreneur Statistics: What the Numbers Reveal in 2025
Women have been starting businesses at record rates, launching everything from tech startups to local service businesses. But while the progress is real, the landscape still presents unique challenges for women.
In this article, we’ve gathered insights about women-led businesses globally and across the United States. You’ll also discover our ranking of US states based on the percentage of small businesses owned by women.
Key Female Entrepreneurship Statistics
- Women represent one in three high-growth entrepreneurs globally
- There are 14 million woman-owned businesses in the United States
- 2.1 million U.S. businesses are owned by black women
- Black women are the fastest-growing group of entrepreneurs in the U.S., accounting for 10% of all entrepreneurs
- Woman-owned businesses in the U.S. produce $2.1 trillion annually
- Woman-owned businesses in the U.S. employ more than 11.4 million people
- The District of Columbia has the highest percentage of small businesses owned by women in the United States.
The Best States for Female Entrepreneurs
We analyzed federal data from all 50 states plus Washington D.C., to find where women have the strongest presence in small business ownership, and the results might surprise you.
Key Findings
- Southern states lead – Many of the top-ranking states are in the South, including Georgia (#2), Louisiana (#3), Mississippi (#4), and South Carolina (#8).
- The Northeast struggles – Northeastern states like New Hampshire (#50), New Jersey (#49), and Pennsylvania (#48) rank at the bottom.
- Rural states are split – Some states with low population density, like New Mexico (#6), rank surprisingly high, while others, such as North Dakota (#47) and South Dakota (#51), rank near the bottom. The states with a stronger farming economy tend to rank lower.
- The range is significant – There’s a 10.2 percentage point difference between D.C. (48.9%) and South Dakota (38.7%).
All numbers come from the Small Business Administration’s 2025 State Profiles, which track businesses with fewer than 500 employees. The SBA uses U.S. Census Bureau statistics.
Rankings
Here are the full rankings.
- District of Columbia
- Georgia
- Louisiana
- Mississippi
- Hawaii
- New Mexico
- Oregon
- South Carolina
- Maryland
- Alabama
- North Carolina
- Florida
- Nevada
- Arizona
- Washington
- Virginia
- Colorado
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Arkansas
- Michigan
- Idaho
- Oklahoma
- Missouri
- Alaska
- Indiana
- California
- Montana
- West Virginia
- Illinois
- Ohio
- Wyoming
- Kansas
- Vermont
- Delaware
- Rhode Island
- Connecticut
- Kentucky
- Utah
- Iowa
- Nebraska
- Wisconsin
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- Minnesota
- New York
- North Dakota
- Pennsylvania
- New Jersey
- New Hampshire
- South Dakota
Methodology
The SBA state profiles list a percentage of small businesses owned by women, but the SBA counts businesses that are equally owned by men and women the same as businesses that are 100% owned by women. We decided to calculate the numbers on our own to better account for this difference.
We analyzed the SBA’s 2025 state profiles for each state and captured the total number of small businesses owned by women, the total number of small businesses owned by men, and the total number of small businesses equally owned by men and women. In our calculations, the businesses equally owned by men and women carry half the weight of the businesses fully owned by women.
Other Stats on Women and Entrepreneurship
Women own more than 1.3 million employer businesses (businesses with paid employees) and 12.7 million non-employer businesses.
Woman-owned businesses bring in an estimated $2.1 trillion, employ more than 11.4 million workers, and account for $508.5 billion in payroll each year.
Sources: US Census Bureau Small Business Week and Report on Women-Owned Businesses
Female Entrepreneurs and Startup Activity
One in ten women around the world started a business in 2023, compared to one in eight men. The number of female founders has increased over the past two decades. Women’s startup activity rates rose from 6.1% in 2001-2005 to 10.4% in 2021-2023.
As of 2023, women accounted for one in three high-growth-oriented entrepreneurs.
High-income countries have the lowest rates for women-led startups, resulting in the largest gender gaps.
Source: GEM
Established Businesses Owned by Women
One in 16 women around the world owns a business more than 42 months old, compared to one in ten men. South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Lithuania, Puerto Rico, and Thailand have the highest rates of established businesses owned by women.
Source: GEM
Black Female Entrepreneurship Statistics
2.1 million American businesses are owned by black women, accounting for 15% of all women-owned businesses. These businesses generate $98.3 billion in annual revenue.
Black women are the fastest-growing group of entrepreneurs in the United States, with rates more than doubling from 2019 to 2023.
Black entrepreneurs own 15% of microbusinesses in the U.S., with 68% of those owned by black women.
Sources: Wells Fargo and GoDaddy
Final Thoughts
More and more women are becoming business owners, but the reality is, women entrepreneurs, and women of color in particular, still face disproportionate challenges. More and more women are becoming business owners, but the reality is, women entrepreneurs, and women of color in particular, still face disproportionate challenges. Despite these obstacles, women continue to launch new businesses at impressive rates and establish themselves as influential business leaders.
