Number of starters up in first quarter of 2026

New businesses rise following earlier decline

After several quarters of decline, the number of starters rose in the first quarter of 2026. The number of newly established businesses increased by 2.0% compared with the same period in 2025. This appears to have brought the downward trend to a halt. The number of starters has increased in most sectors, but there has been a decline in a number of them, for example in Health and social care and Arts, culture, sport, and recreation.  

“Due to uncertainty surrounding regulations and false self-employment, we are seeing self-employed people and clients seeking a new balance. In sectors that traditionally have a high number of self-employed people, such as care and culture, this is resulting in fewer new entrants. For many entrepreneurs, these sectors have become less attractive at present, leading them to adopt a more cautious approach. The lower number of people ceasing trading probably means that self-employed people who were in doubt have now made their decision and have already ceased trading,” says Josette Dijkhuizen, entrepreneur and professor by special appointment. 

Number of business closures falls for the first time in two and a half years

The number of entrepreneurs who closed their businesses in the first quarter was 7.2% lower than a year earlier. This is the first decline after two and a half years in which the number of closures had been steadily rising.  

Bankruptcies continue to fall

The number of bankruptcies has also fallen. In the first quarter, the number of bankruptcies declared was 10.9% lower than in the same period last year.

A cautious sign of stabilisation

The increase in the number of starters, combined with falling numbers of business closures and bankruptcies, has resulted in a slight growth in the number of business establishments. This points to a cautious stabilisation of business dynamics in the Netherlands.  

“Dynamism is part and parcel of an entrepreneurial country like the Netherlands, but if that dynamism arises from a great deal of turmoil – as is currently the case with geopolitical uncertainty and other major issues – it can have a disruptive effect. Particularly in light of a further deterioration in consumer confidence over the past month, a stabilisation in the number of entrepreneurs does not yet indicate what is actually happening in the market,” says Dijkhuizen. 

Read more about the KVK Trend Report Q1 2026.