14.2M
women-owned businesses
Women owned 14.2 million U.S. employer and nonemployer businesses in 2023.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Business Owner Characteristics, November 20, 2025U.S. business reference
Women-Owned Business Statistics: U.S. Facts and Figures
A current, citable collection of official figures on women-owned businesses in the United States, from business counts and receipts to jobs, growth, and access to capital.
Last updated August 31, 2026. Most figures reflect 2023 business activity, the latest combined Census data available when this page was updated.
The picture behind the numbers
Women are building businesses across every stage of growth.
These figures include businesses with paid employees and businesses without paid employees. That distinction matters: many owners start as independent operators, while employer firms show the businesses that are creating payroll jobs as they grow.
The data below comes from the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Small Business Administration. Each figure is linked to its original source so writers, researchers, and business communities can check and cite the underlying data.
Key statistics
Women-owned business statistics
$2.8T
in business receipts
Those women-owned businesses generated $2.8 trillion in receipts in 2023.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Business Owner Characteristics, November 20, 20251.4M
employer firms
Women owned about 1.4 million employer firms in 2023, representing 22.9% of all U.S. employer firms.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Business Owner Characteristics, November 20, 202512.9M
businesses without paid employees
Women owned 12.9 million nonemployer businesses in 2023, or 42.3% of the U.S. total.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Business Owner Characteristics, November 20, 2025$423.1B
nonemployer business receipts
Women-owned nonemployer businesses recorded $423.1 billion in receipts in 2023.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Business Owner Characteristics, November 20, 202511.4M
employees at employer firms
Women-owned employer businesses employed 11.4 million people in 2022.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Employer Business Characteristics, December 19, 202494%
faster growth rate
From 2019 to 2023, the growth rate of women-owned businesses outpaced the growth rate of men-owned businesses by 94%.
Source: U.S. Small Business Administration, Women Entrepreneurs, July 23, 2024$5B+
in SBA loan dollars
SBA loan dollars to women-owned small businesses exceeded $5 billion in 2023.
Source: U.S. Small Business Administration, Women's Small Business Month, October 23, 2024How to read this page
Sources and methodology
The Census Bureau's Annual Business Survey covers employer businesses, meaning firms with paid employees. Its Nonemployer Statistics by Demographics series covers businesses without paid employees that file federal income tax and meet the program's receipt threshold. The Census combines these sources for the most complete view of U.S. business ownership by sex.
Figures are shown as reported by the original source. The latest broad business counts on this page are for 2023. The jobs figure is explicitly marked as 2022 because that is the source year reported with that measure.
- U.S. Census Bureau, Business Owner Characteristics, published November 20, 2025
- U.S. Census Bureau, Employer Business Characteristics, published December 19, 2024
- U.S. Small Business Administration, Women Entrepreneurs, published July 23, 2024
- U.S. Small Business Administration, Women's Small Business Month, published October 23, 2024
Cite this page
Share the source behind the statistic.
Suggested citation: Christian C.E.O. Planner. "Women-Owned Business Statistics: U.S. Facts and Figures." Updated August 31, 2026. https://christianceoplanner.com/women-owned-business-statistics
When using a specific number, link directly to its anchor above and include the original Census Bureau or Small Business Administration source.
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