Incorporations up in the first half of 2026, almost three in ten as an entrepreneurial company

In the first half of 2026, 34,823 corporations were incorporated in Germany, 6.6 percent more than in the first half of 2025. 28.9% of them are entrepreneurial companies with limited liability (UG), after 26.1% a year earlier. This is the result of an analysis by HDH Group Research of the complete population of German corporations.

In the whole of 2025, 67,424 corporations were formed. The UG, which can be incorporated with a share capital of one euro, has been gaining weight for years. Its median capital is EUR 1,000; 2.1% actually start with a single euro. 87.4% of limited liability companies (GmbH) are incorporated with exactly the statutory minimum capital of EUR 25,000.

Founded alone and at around forty

74.3% of companies are founded and managed by a single person, 25.7% by a team. The median age of the founder is 42 years; 11.9% are younger than thirty, 30.9% older than fifty. Incorporations in the later stages of working life are thus a substantial phenomenon.

Berlin renews itself fastest

Relative to the corporate population, renewal is strongest in Berlin: the incorporations of 2024 and 2025 there correspond to 17.2% of the companies previously in existence. Hamburg (14.8%) and Hesse (14.4%) follow. Incorporations are above average in Energy supply and in hospitality.

Method

Corporations are counted by the date of the articles of association or statutes, as of 23 October 2026. Companies that have already been deleted are missing; for the most recent cohorts this effect is small.

The report

This item is based on the report “Incorporations in Germany” by HDH Group Research. It contains all figures and tables, the definition of the population and a section on method and limitations: Incorporations in Germany, also as PDF.