Women-Owned Business Statistics
Last updated: June 2026 · 5 sourced statistics
Women-owned businesses have grown faster than the overall business population for years. Census Bureau survey data puts women's share of employer firms above one in five, while broader counts that include nonemployer businesses run to 14 million firms. Sources: Census Bureau and the National Women's Business Council.
Key takeaways
- Women own more than one in five US employer firms (Census ABS).
- Including nonemployers, women-owned businesses number around 14 million.
- Women-owned firms have outpaced overall business growth in recent years.
At a glance
Every figure on this page in one table, each linked to its named source. Scroll down for the full context behind each number.
| Figure | What it measures | Source | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.2M+ | Women own more than 1.2 million US employer firms — over a fifth of all employer businesses, per the Census Bureau's Annual Business Survey. | US Census Bureau, Annual Business Survey | 2023 |
| ~14M | Including nonemployer firms, recent research counts roughly 14 million women-owned businesses — close to two-fifths of all US businesses. | Wells Fargo Impact of Women-Owned Businesses Report | 2024 |
| $2T+ | Women-owned employer firms generate well over $2 trillion in annual revenue (Census ABS and follow-on analyses). | US Census Bureau / NWBC | 2024 |
| Outpacing | The National Women's Business Council documents women-owned firms growing faster than the overall business population across recent reporting periods. | National Women's Business Council Annual Report | 2024 |
| 5M+ | Record new-business formation since 2020 — 5M+ applications annually — has included historically high rates of women founders (Census BFS-linked research). | US Census Bureau, Business Formation Statistics | 2024 |
The statistics
Women own more than 1.2 million US employer firms — over a fifth of all employer businesses, per the Census Bureau's Annual Business Survey.
Source:US Census Bureau, Annual Business Survey2023
Including nonemployer firms, recent research counts roughly 14 million women-owned businesses — close to two-fifths of all US businesses.
Source:Wells Fargo Impact of Women-Owned Businesses Report2024
Women-owned employer firms generate well over $2 trillion in annual revenue (Census ABS and follow-on analyses).
Source:US Census Bureau / NWBC2024
The National Women's Business Council documents women-owned firms growing faster than the overall business population across recent reporting periods.
Record new-business formation since 2020 — 5M+ applications annually — has included historically high rates of women founders (Census BFS-linked research).
When these numbers don't apply
Aggregate statistics hide a lot. Read these caveats before quoting a figure as if it describes your specific situation.
- Employer-firm counts (Census) and all-firm counts (survey research) use different bases and shouldn't be compared directly.
- Revenue figures combine Census data with commissioned research using varying methodologies.
- 'Women-owned' definitions (majority ownership vs equal ownership) differ across data sources.
How we compiled this data
Compiled June 2026 from Census Bureau Annual Business Survey data, NWBC annual reports, Wells Fargo-commissioned research, and Census Business Formation Statistics. Employer-firm counts (Census) and all-firm counts (survey research) use different bases.
We hand-collected each figure from its original publisher rather than recycling secondary round-ups, cross-checked the headline numbers against the source documents in June 2026, and link every statistic to the report it came from so you can verify it yourself. Where a publisher issues annual updates, we cite the report edition and flag the year inline.
Frequently asked questions
How many women-owned businesses are there?
Over 1.2 million employer firms (Census) and roughly 14 million when nonemployer businesses are included (Wells Fargo/NWBC research).
What share of businesses are women-owned?
More than a fifth of employer firms and close to two-fifths of all businesses including solo firms.
Are women-owned businesses growing?
Yes — faster than the overall business population in recent years, per NWBC reporting on Census data.
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