Number of SMEs
New Zealand is predominantly a nation of small businesses.
Most enterprises in New Zealand are small and medium-sized enterprises:
- 96.3% of enterprises employ 19 or fewer people.
- 86.8% of enterprises employ 5 or fewer people.
- 64.7% of enterprises have no employees.
Figure 1: Number of Enterprises by Size, as at February 2004
→ Long Description of Figure 1: Number of Enterprises by Size, as at February 2004
The number of SMEs increased in the year to February 2004, although the proportion of SMEs remained relatively constant.
According to backdated data, the number of SMEs increased by 10.2 percent in the year to February 2004, following an increase of 4.8 percent in the preceding year. These results are similar to the movements in numbers of firms of all sizes over the same periods. The total number of enterprises rose from 294,954 in February 2003 to 324,293 in February 2004.
The proportion of firms defined as SMEs remained constant at 96.3 percent at February 2004.
Figure 2: Cumulative Enterprise Count by EC Size Group, as at February 2004
→ Long Description of Figure 2: Cumulative Enterprise Count by EC Size Group, as at February 2004
Table 1: Annual Percentage Change in Numbers of Enterprises, as at February 2004
| EC Size Group |
2001 |
2002 |
2003 |
2004 |
Average Percentage Change |
| 0) 0 |
-1.55% |
2.74% |
4.63% |
14.81% |
5.9% |
| 1) 1-5 |
1.05% |
2.39% |
3.51% |
1.64% |
2.1% |
| 2) 6-9 |
2.48% |
3.45% |
8.20% |
1.97% |
4.0% |
| 3) 10-19 |
3.76% |
3.47% |
9.28% |
2.50% |
4.75% |
| 4) 20-49 |
1.70% |
1.97% |
8.31% |
3.62% |
3.9% |
| 5) 50-99 |
2.59% |
2.32% |
5.82% |
4.38% |
3.8% |
| 6) 100-499 |
4.50% |
0.43% |
0.86% |
4.89% |
2.7% |
| 7) 500+ |
4.45% |
7.75% |
2.52% |
3.51% |
4.6% |
| Total |
-0.35% |
2.69% |
4.84% |
9.95% |
4.3% |
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