BigDataCorp released the second edition of its study "CNPJs do Brasil", that analyzes the business landscape in the country. In March 2025, Brazil surpassed the mark of 64 million registered CNPJs, number 7,72% higher than the same period of the previous year. Looking only at active companies, the growth was even greater: 16,11%, leaving from 21,8 million establishments for 25,3 million. This rapid increase in the number of businesses in operation demonstrates the dynamism of the Brazilian market, which is in rapid expansion
This expansion is especially visible in the micro and small business segment, who lead the movement. The individual microenterprises (MEIs) grew by 20,90% in the last 12 months, and it's already 78,74% of the active CNPJs in the country. Small family businesses, that have two or more partners all from the same family, they are the second largest category, representing 9,75% of the total. In total, 88,49% of Brazilian organizations are micro or small family businesses, and the evolution of this type of business is a reflection of significant transformations in Brazilian society and economy
Transformation and Formalization of Work
Thoran Rodrigues, CEO of BigDataCorp, highlights that the observed growth is the result of two major ongoing trends in the market. "First of all", we have the strong phenomenon of 'pejotização' of labor relations. In this context, Many people who were previously employed with a formal employment contract in the traditional model have become service providers, structuring your activities as companies.”, explain
This transformation in the way people are hired can be observed in the growth of companies that declare "sales promotion" or "administrative support" as their main economic activities. These two activities are commonly used by workers who are transitioning to a PJ model, and they were the two most common types of activity in the new companies. 6,76% of the CNPJs opened throughout 2024 had one of them as their main area of activity
The formalization of small businesses, especially those linked to the so-called 'gig economy', it is the second major trend identified by the study. As an example, we observe that various activities in the transportation sector, both passengers and cargo, they had a participation above expectations in company openings, complement Rodrigues
Besides the transportation sector, the formalization also reflects in small commerce and essential services such as hairdressers and manicurists, segments that continue to have strong growth in the number of companies opened
Business mortality
Despite the overall growth in the number of active companies, the study also revealed an increase in corporate mortality. Proportionally, more companies shut down their operations throughout 2024 than in any previous year, except in 2021, when the country was still dealing with the effects of the pandemic. A large part of this mortality is related to a return to normality in the economy
It was observed, for example, a disproportionate number of companies in the food delivery preparation sector, reflecting a contraction in a segment that experienced significant growth from 2020 to 2022. Throughout 2024, 1,66% of the closed businesses operated in this area
This acceleration in closures, when combined with the increase in openings, indicates greater volatility in the Brazilian market, with shorter-lived companies and morechurn."the executive concludes"
