The European Commission's 2025 Eurobarometer on SMEs, start-ups, and scale-ups gathered insights from over 17,000 companies, including 13,000 in the EU-27 (of these, 5% identified as start-ups and 18% as scale-ups) and highlights the strong ambition among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and the persistent challenges to their growth.
The report listed the major challenges face by SMEs. While 64% of SMEs flag regulatory complexity as their main barrier to growth, the picture doesn’t stop there. Financial obstacles continue to weigh heavily:
- 39% struggle with late payments
- 27% report difficulties accessing finance
These aren’t just statistics—they’re pain points shaping the daily realities of thousands of small businesses across Europe.
Yet despite these hurdles, Europe’s SMEs show remarkable resilience. The survey also highlights a wave of positive momentum:
- Almost half of SMEs have grown in turnover and employment since 2021
- Many are actively planning to scale up in the near future
📊 Curious about what this means for your business—or for SME policy in the EU?
👉 Explore the full Eurobarometer findings on SMEs, Start-ups and Scale-ups
- Conectați-vă pentru a adăuga observații