36.2 Million Small Businesses Operate in the United States

According to the SBA Office of Advocacy's 2025 Small Business Profile, there are 36.2 million small businesses in the United States — defined as firms with fewer than 500 employees. These businesses represent roughly 46% of private-sector employment and generated approximately 9 of every 10 net new jobs over the prior decade.

The Census Bureau's Business Formation Statistics show the pipeline still growing: the Census Bureau counted 578,926 new business applications in July 2026 (seasonally adjusted), up 8.1% from June. That formation pipeline feeds directly into SBA lending activity — the agency guaranteed 84,400 loans worth $44.8 billion in FY2025, suggesting the small-business count will continue rising into 2026 as applications from the post-pandemic formation surge mature into operating firms.

https://clearvaluelending.com/reports/stats/small-business-count-us-2026