GEM Basque Country Report 2025-2026 (Basque Entrepreneurship Observatory)

Summary

• Entrepreneurial intention in Spain increased from 11.2% in 2024 to 13.8% in 2025.p.17
• The Total Early-Stage Entrepreneurial Activity (TEA) rate reached 7.8% of the adult population in 2025, up from 7.2% in 2024.p.17
• The proportion of the population managing established businesses grew from 6.8% in 2024 to 7.4% in 2025.p.17
• Nearly one in three early-stage entrepreneurs (29%) used artificial intelligence tools in their businesses in 2025.p.74
• Personal savings provided 64% of the average seed capital for launching new business projects in 2025.p.65

Key insights

1. Entrepreneurial activity expanded across all stages of the entrepreneurial process in 2025 despite international market uncertainty.p.17
2. Fear of failure persists as a primary barrier to business creation, limiting 53% of the adult population in 2025.p.22
3. Foreign-born residents recorded an early-stage entrepreneurial activity rate of 13.7% in 2025, nearly double that of native Spaniards.p.57
4. Early-stage entrepreneurs holding a doctoral degree achieved the highest product innovation rate at 74% in 2025.p.73
5. The share of early-stage entrepreneurs planning to adopt digital technologies within six months reached 54% in 2025.p.78