KVK's Business Dynamics report for the first quarter of 2023 shows Dutch business numbers still increasing. Almost 130,000 businesses were added compared with the first quarter of 2022, growth of just under 6%. At the end of March 2023, the Netherlands had 2,356,554 businesses.
The strongest growth in particular sectors
Almost 76,000 people started their first business in the first three months of 2023. In 29 of these cases, it was a hospitality business. Retail, business services, and culture, sport and recreation completed the top four. Some sectors grew while others saw fewer founders. Financial services fell most sharply, followed by wholesale and agriculture and horticulture. Geographically, the greatest increase in new entrepreneurs with a business address was in Groningen, Limburg and Flevoland, at around 20%. Overijssel recorded the fewest new businesses.
Businesses that ceased trading
Alongside new businesses, others naturally ceased trading. There were 46,205 closures across the Netherlands in the first quarter of 2023, compared with 40,114 a year earlier. Healthcare, agriculture and horticulture, and construction had the most closures. Regionally, Friesland, North Brabant and Overijssel saw the most. In Zeeland, only 1% closed their business. A small proportion, 641 companies, went bankrupt. Most were in logistics, personal services, retail, hospitality and manufacturing. These sectors had twice as many bankruptcies as in the first quarter of 2022.
Growth in self-employment
Many new entrepreneurs are self-employed without staff, sometimes combining their business with employment. Neither the pandemic nor sharply rising inflation and the energy crisis stopped Dutch people wanting to start out independently. Many choose hospitality or retail, although those sectors also have the most bankruptcies. Entrepreneurs evidently remain willing to take risks to pursue their dreams.
A strong rise in culture, sport and recreation
KVK's first-quarter 2023 Business Dynamics report also shows many new entrepreneurs registering a business address for a company in culture, recreation or sport, particularly performing arts services and stage performance. The growth has a logical explanation: many cultural entrepreneurs had to stop during the pandemic because restrictions prevented events. Now the pandemic is over and restrictions are lifted, they are returning to their former passion. Event caterers benefit from the cultural sector's recovery too, and their numbers are also increasing.
KVK itself is also returning to normal. It reported on business developments monthly during the pandemic, but has returned to quarterly reports from 2023.
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