42% — Full approval rate. Federal Reserve Small Business Credit Survey, 2026 Report on Employer Firms.
The Federal Reserve's 2026 Report on Employer Firms (based on 2025 survey data) found that 42% of small business financing applicants received all the funding they requested — the highest full-approval rate since 2021. An additional 25% were partially approved. Sixty percent of employer firms applied for financing in 2025, up from prior years.
The most common reason for denial or partial approval was insufficient collateral or credit history. Applicants who applied to multiple lenders — including online lenders and CDFIs alongside banks — reported higher full-approval rates.
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