After two consecutive periods of a decrease in the volume of new CNPJs in the first six months of the year (1S22 and 1S23), the country registers a growth of 7.1% in this 1st semester of 2024 compared to the previous period (1st half of 2023). According to the recent survey conducted by the Contabilizei, the largest accounting firm in Brazil, leader in opening companies and managing CNPJs, from the analysis of public data from the Federal Revenue Service, this increase in the index had not occurred since the first half of 2021, after the first year of the pandemic, which reached 35.83%.
Furthermore, for the fourth consecutive year, Brazil also continues to surpass the 2 million companies opened mark in the 1st half. In total, 2,151,710 new CNPJs were mapped, representing an increase of 7.1% compared to the same period in 2023. The growth of Individual Microentrepreneurs (MEI) was 6.8% (1,632,739 x 1,528,070) when evaluating one year against another, while non-MEIs had an increase of 7.7% (518,971 x 481,644).
For the executive vice president of operations at Contabilizei, Guilherme Soares, the current scenario highlights the positive context of entrepreneurship with the recovery after the indices of 2022 and 2023. “The good news is even greater because this is the 1st semester we identified an increase in both MEI and non-MEI categories (6.8% and 7.7%) after two years without this simultaneous advancement”, he explains. “Another point worth noting is that it has also been two years since the commerce, industry, and services sectors have not grown the opening rate of companies together as it has now (1.4%, 4.3%, and 10%, respectively)”.
The data is in line with a Sebrae survey, which revealed that small businesses account for about 95% of all existing companies in the country and are responsible for 30% of the Brazilian Gross Domestic Product (GDP). “Smaller companies contribute significantly both to revenue generation and to the creation of formal jobs. They are essential for the economic strengthening of cities, driving regional development,” notes the executive.
From January to June, microenterprises (ME) and small businesses (EPP) were responsible for generating six out of every 10 new jobs, according to Sebrae, based on data obtained through the General Register of Employed and Unemployed Persons (Caged). In other words, more than 777.2 thousand new formal job positions were created by Brazilian small businesses. When looking solely at the picture in June, over 201.7 thousand opportunities were opened in the country, with MEs and EPPs accounting for 115.9 thousand hires (57.5%). The sectors that led job creation this month among SMEs were: Services (49,018), Commerce (27,443), and Construction (18,753).
The economist and PhD in Agribusiness from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Maria Flávia Tavares, analyzes the scenario. “In Brazil, according to World Bank data, 7.8% of the GDP comes from the service sector, 20.2% from industry, and 7.5% from agriculture. Covid-19 not only caused a devastating number of human losses but also wreaked havoc on the economy. This scenario forced many people to seek new sources of income, leading to an increase in the number of entrepreneurs, especially MEIs. In addition, the federal government provided incentives for the creation of companies, which contributed to many coming out of informality and starting to pay taxes”.
Sector Breakdown
In 1H24, the breakdown of new businesses in the three sectors was as follows:
- Services: 1,417,648 (65.88% of new businesses opened)
- Commerce: 578,923 (26.91% of the total new businesses opened)
- Industry: 128,136 (6% of the total new businesses opened)
Among non-MEI category businesses, the services sector showed the highest percentage increase, at 11.4%. In the MEI category, the services sector continued to stand out, with a growth of 9.5%.
