Research · Updated October 18, 2026

Business survival rates by industry

How many new business locations in each of 19 industries are still open after one, five and ten years, with firm-based rates for each state and closure rates for counties and metros. National figures are from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and run through March 2025.

Industries19NAICS sectors

Which industries survive longest

Among 19 industries, agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting had the highest five-year survival rate for new U.S. establishments (61.8%) and information had the lowest (45.7%). The rate for all private industries is 51.4%.

Restaurants are part of accommodation and food services, where 59.3% of new establishments reached five years.

Highest at 5 years: Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting61.8%
All private industries at 5 years51.4%
Lowest at 5 years: Information45.7%

Establishments that opened April 2019 to March 2020, still open in March 2025. Source: BLS Business Employment Dynamics, Table 7 by industry.

Survival rates for 19 industries

The Bureau of Labor Statistics follows every new private-sector establishment from the year it opens and reports the results for each of 19 industries (NAICS sectors). The table shows the share of the latest group of openings still open at each age, measured in March 2025.

Table 1

Share of new U.S. establishments still open, by industry


All industries	77.9%	65.9%	56.3%	51.4%	34.7%			988,310
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting	85.7%	77.9%	70.6%	61.8%	53.0%	1	+10.4	6,169
Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction	77.7%	65.2%	57.5%	48.5%	24.5%	18	−2.9	1,962
Utilities	76.9%	65.4%	63.0%	61.6%	47.2%	2	+10.2	1,751
Construction	79.7%	71.3%	63.8%	56.5%	42.6%	10	+5.1	64,892
Manufacturing	80.1%	70.3%	63.6%	58.4%	45.3%	6	+7.0	25,278
Wholesale trade	79.5%	69.8%	61.1%	51.2%	34.4%	16	−0.2	40,970
Retail trade	84.4%	75.9%	68.5%	59.8%	44.2%	4	+8.4	57,586
Transportation and warehousing	77.0%	64.7%	53.4%	52.7%	36.1%	12	+1.3	24,640
Information	71.6%	59.9%	51.2%	45.7%	30.0%	19	−5.7	32,515
Finance and insurance	79.2%	70.2%	59.9%	53.8%	38.4%	11	+2.4	41,477
Real estate and rental and leasing	81.0%	72.1%	65.1%	57.9%	45.0%	8	+6.5	32,353
Professional, scientific and technical services	74.5%	64.3%	56.1%	50.8%	34.3%	17	−0.6	175,321
Management of companies and enterprises	80.5%	71.8%	62.6%	52.1%	35.8%	14	+0.7	10,397
Administrative and support and waste management	75.7%	64.4%	55.5%	51.5%	37.0%	15	+0.1	57,304
Educational services	78.4%	70.0%	62.3%	58.2%	43.1%	7	+6.8	14,725
Health care and social assistance	82.1%	73.4%	61.0%	52.6%	36.4%	13	+1.2	219,773
Arts, entertainment, and recreation	78.4%	71.3%	64.7%	57.1%	40.8%	9	+5.7	14,415
Accommodation and food services	85.3%	76.4%	68.2%	59.3%	41.6%	5	+7.9	57,581
Other services (except public administration)	82.6%	74.8%	67.6%	60.0%	42.1%	3	+8.6	50,097

Each age uses the latest group of openings that has reached it: the 1-year group opened April 2023 to March 2024, the 5-year group April 2019 to March 2020, the 10-year group April 2014 to March 2015. Ranks are out of the 19 industries; ties share a rank.

The all-industries row includes establishments that BLS does not assign to any of the 19 industries (59,104 of the 988,310 openings in the 1-year group, 6.0%). Those establishments survive less often, which pulls the all-industries rate down. Fifteen of the 19 industries are above the all-industries rate at both 5 and 10 years; wholesale trade, professional, scientific and technical services, mining and information are below it at both. Pooled across the 19 industries only, survival is 79.5% at one year, 54.3% at five years and 38.7% at ten.

Five-year survival by industry

Information businesses, which include publishing, media and telecom, had the lowest one-year (71.6%) and five-year (45.7%) rates. Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction had the lowest ten-year rate (24.5%).

Accommodation and food services, the sector that includes restaurants, had a one-year rate of 85.3% and a five-year rate of 59.3%, both above the all-industries rates. BLS does not publish restaurants separately in these tables. Because the unit is the establishment, a restaurant chain that opens and closes locations is counted location by location.

Figure 1

Five-year survival by industry, with the all-industries rate of 51.4%

All industries 51.4%

Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting61.8%
Utilities61.6%
Other services (except public administration)60.0%
Retail trade59.8%
Accommodation and food services59.3%
Manufacturing58.4%
Educational services58.2%
Real estate and rental and leasing57.9%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation57.1%
Construction56.5%
Finance and insurance53.8%
Transportation and warehousing52.7%
Health care and social assistance52.6%
Management of companies and enterprises52.1%
Administrative and support and waste management51.5%
Wholesale trade51.2%
Professional, scientific and technical services50.8%
Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction48.5%
Information45.7%

Establishments that opened April 2019 to March 2020. Source: BLS Business Employment Dynamics, Table 7 by industry.

Survival since 1994, one industry at a time

Pick an industry to see the survival rate of each year's group of openings, 1994 to 2024, against the all-industries line. The five-year view stops with the group that opened in the year to March 2020, the last one old enough.

Figure 2

Survival by year of opening

Year of opening ends in March. The dark line is all industries.

Source: BLS Business Employment Dynamics, Table 7 by industry. Industries with few openings, such as utilities (1,751 in the year to March 2024) and mining (1,962), move more from year to year.

Sectors by state

The Census Bureau publishes the number of firms of each age by state and industry, which lets us compare a state's startups with the firms of the same group still operating five years later. These are firm-based rates and are not comparable with the establishment-based rates above.

Health care and social assistance has the highest five-year rate among sectors with at least 100 startups in Texas (61.3%), California (61.9%), Florida (58.2%) and New York (60.2%, tied with manufacturing), while it ranks 13th of 19 in the national establishment-based table. The two measures count different things, and this page never ranks them together.

Figure 3

Five-year survival by state and industry (firms started in 2018, still operating in 2023)

State	Agriculture, forestry, fishing & hunting	Mining, quarrying, & oil and gas extraction	Utilities	Construction	Manufacturing	Wholesale trade	Retail trade	Transportation & warehousing	Information	Finance & insurance	Real estate & rental and leasing	Professional, scientific & technical services	Management of companies & enterprises	Administrative & support and waste management	Educational services	Health care & social assistance	Arts, entertainment, & recreation	Accommodation & food services	Other services
Alabama	·	·	·	59	56	60	58	50	60	63	58	58	·	58	60	68	49	55	64
Alaska	·	·	·	55	69	·	52	46	·	·	54	65	·	52	·	63	56	59	49
Arizona	·	·	·	61	52	58	52	47	51	56	53	54	·	51	59	59	42	51	55
Arkansas	46	·	·	60	64	66	53	50	·	54	60	55	·	53	54	66	68	48	60
California	40	·	·	55	53	51	52	51	43	54	54	51	46	51	58	62	49	51	53
Colorado	57	39	·	50	61	60	53	50	42	53	54	51	·	50	52	63	46	51	53
Connecticut	·	·	·	54	73	63	54	47	42	60	47	54	·	60	59	66	55	55	57
Delaware	·	·	·	58	54	62	56	49	38	46	54	52	·	59	·	67	54	54	57
District of Columbia	·	·	·	45	·	·	57	·	64	·	48	57	·	60	54	66	·	55	50
Florida	55	·	·	48	57	53	49	46	47	54	52	54	58	51	57	58	48	47	54
Georgia	42	·	·	56	62	57	49	47	43	54	47	52	·	52	56	63	53	55	57
Hawaii	·	·	·	51	48	62	54	50	·	62	47	57	·	48	53	64	·	53	52
Idaho	55	·	·	57	58	68	51	50	44	76	60	59	·	47	74	65	55	49	57
Illinois	·	·	·	56	61	61	54	57	53	59	54	53	·	52	59	66	52	60	58
Indiana	·	·	·	60	63	63	55	49	53	64	57	58	·	60	68	65	57	56	60
Iowa	40	·	·	58	71	69	49	61	63	58	56	59	·	58	51	72	61	55	56
Kansas	·	·	·	54	57	66	62	54	50	58	59	58	·	58	58	66	57	49	58
Kentucky	·	·	·	54	66	54	56	53	46	68	55	54	·	61	64	55	47	52	60
Louisiana	53	41	·	55	59	57	53	39	50	72	57	57	·	53	43	66	60	56	53
Maine	48	·	·	62	61	60	58	46	·	50	59	61	·	65	70	67	51	55	61
Maryland	·	·	·	57	61	56	54	44	50	58	54	55	·	56	60	63	56	56	57
Massachusetts	·	·	·	55	64	52	58	55	48	57	56	57	·	52	67	65	54	57	58
Michigan	54	·	·	61	58	61	52	51	44	62	49	56	·	55	55	61	59	56	57
Minnesota	·	·	·	57	66	65	55	47	41	61	56	51	·	60	58	69	62	56	61
Mississippi	63	·	·	54	70	52	49	46	·	69	52	61	·	66	·	66	57	53	59
Missouri	42	·	·	54	62	60	52	49	49	62	57	48	·	55	57	17	53	48	57
Montana	·	·	·	60	62	43	63	40	·	61	61	54	·	63	·	72	63	53	51
Nebraska	·	·	·	60	78	57	59	57	·	63	64	61	·	54	66	73	65	49	64
Nevada	·	·	·	55	43	50	47	52	44	55	55	50	·	50	57	57	38	52	51
New Hampshire	·	·	·	60	74	57	56	49	·	64	55	50	·	58	50	67	54	59	55
New Jersey	·	·	·	49	69	54	53	47	39	54	49	50	·	49	56	67	54	54	57
New Mexico	·	46	·	61	63	53	55	47	·	56	56	54	·	59	·	64	47	53	55
New York	50	·	·	51	60	52	52	48	36	52	56	51	41	53	57	60	51	52	56
North Carolina	53	·	·	59	68	61	53	46	54	59	58	55	·	52	69	67	49	54	58
North Dakota	·	56	·	60	·	·	53	49	·	78	67	55	·	54	·	64	42	58	65
Ohio	·	·	·	57	63	58	55	48	41	69	56	58	·	52	63	67	63	53	62
Oklahoma	·	42	·	55	68	56	50	44	49	51	51	53	·	60	68	63	57	53	56
Oregon	53	·	·	52	52	64	57	53	41	56	53	56	·	58	57	66	50	56	53
Pennsylvania	75	65	·	59	71	65	58	50	52	63	57	56	·	53	73	69	57	56	63
Rhode Island	·	·	·	51	64	45	46	52	·	·	53	54	·	45	·	69	59	53	54
South Carolina	56	·	·	54	56	60	59	41	50	63	59	56	·	54	69	64	57	51	55
South Dakota	·	·	·	60	62	69	51	49	·	62	58	61	·	52	·	65	50	58	56
Tennessee	·	·	·	56	66	58	55	47	49	58	50	55	·	53	56	62	62	53	62
Texas	50	49	76	54	61	60	52	44	51	57	55	54	65	52	58	61	51	51	55
Utah	·	·	·	58	59	49	52	42	61	56	50	53	·	48	61	65	61	49	54
Vermont	·	·	·	60	61	·	57	·	·	·	70	64	·	62	·	73	·	51	62
Virginia	68	·	·	53	60	58	54	49	45	62	58	54	·	52	65	66	55	54	57
Washington	56	·	·	50	62	52	53	53	47	59	54	52	·	50	56	65	57	54	56
West Virginia	·	·	·	54	·	·	59	41	·	78	49	57	·	54	·	57	49	49	60
Wisconsin	53	·	·	62	76	61	59	57	62	69	59	60	·	64	59	65	56	58	60
Wyoming	·	·	·	56	·	·	52	38	·	51	58	50	·	47	·	69	38	50	48

Under 45%
45 to 50
50 to 55
55 to 60
60% or more
Not available (·)

Cells show the rounded percentage. The state panel and the lists below the panel use only industries with at least 100 startups in 2018.

Blank cells: withheld by the Census Bureau, or fewer than 30 startups in 2018. 753 of 969 state-by-industry cells have a five-year value. Source: Census Bureau, Business Dynamics Statistics 2023.

Select a state in the box at the top of the page to see its industries, with the number of startups behind each rate.

Closures by county and metro

The Census Bureau's Business Dynamics Statistics also report, for every county and metro area, how many establishments closed in a year. This is not a survival rate and does not split by industry, but it shows how much turnover a local economy has.

Table 3

The 25 counties with the most establishments: closures, 2023 (BDS)


Los Angeles County, CA	257,448	28,199	11.0%	31,137	12.2%
Cook County, IL	118,273	11,621	9.8%	11,967	10.1%
Harris County, TX	100,912	9,745	9.7%	11,574	11.6%
Maricopa County, AZ	95,429	10,038	10.6%	12,306	13.1%
Orange County, CA	93,791	9,685	10.4%	10,464	11.2%
Miami-Dade County, FL	85,103	9,444	11.3%	11,765	14.0%
San Diego County, CA	82,322	8,304	10.1%	9,301	11.4%
New York County, NY	82,234	8,457	10.3%	8,180	9.9%
Dallas County, TX	64,868	6,261	9.7%	7,049	10.9%
King County, WA	62,364	6,491	10.4%	6,472	10.4%
Broward County, FL	58,571	6,730	11.6%	7,514	12.9%
Kings County, NY	55,197	5,782	10.6%	7,019	12.9%
Palm Beach County, FL	47,765	5,343	11.3%	6,330	13.4%
Clark County, NV	47,265	5,236	11.2%	6,142	13.1%
Queens County, NY	44,996	4,974	11.2%	5,772	12.9%
Suffolk County, NY	44,346	4,283	9.7%	4,695	10.6%
Santa Clara County, CA	43,815	4,316	9.9%	4,526	10.4%
Tarrant County, TX	42,883	4,089	9.6%	5,060	11.9%
Nassau County, NY	42,353	4,411	10.5%	4,798	11.4%
Riverside County, CA	41,078	4,321	10.6%	5,131	12.6%
Middlesex County, MA	40,756	3,564	8.8%	3,982	9.8%
Orange County, FL	40,073	4,616	11.7%	5,642	14.3%
Travis County, TX	38,399	3,819	10.1%	5,215	13.8%
Hillsborough County, FL	38,178	4,261	11.3%	4,982	13.2%
San Bernardino County, CA	38,023	4,030	10.7%	4,763	12.6%

Rates are as published by the Census Bureau: closures (or openings) in 2023 divided by the average number of establishments in 2022 and 2023. All industries, all private employers. Counties with suppressed values show "n/a". Metro and micro areas that cross a state line are listed under each state they touch.

What these numbers count

A location in the national table, a firm in the state table.

The BLS tables count establishments. The Census state-by-industry rates count firms.

Closures

An establishment leaves the count when it stops operating, whether it lost money, was sold, moved or closed when the owner retired. The data does not say which.

Private employers only.

Sole proprietors without staff are not in either source.

No legal form.

Neither source records whether a business is an LLC, a corporation or a sole proprietorship.

Years end in March.

An establishment's opening year runs from April through March.

Methodology

National industry rates

BLS Business Employment Dynamics, Table 7, one file for each of the 19 private-sector NAICS sectors and one for all private industries, data through March 2025, downloaded October 18, 2026. They measure establishments. The all-industries series includes establishments not assigned to a sector, so the industry rates do not add up to it.

State-by-industry rates

Census Bureau Business Dynamics Statistics 2023, firms by firm age, state and sector. BDS publishes counts of firms by age, not individual cohorts, so we approximate survival as the number of firms aged N in 2023 divided by the number of startups (age 0) N years earlier in the same state and sector. Where existing firms enter a state, this approximation can overstate survival. A cell is left blank where Census withheld a value or where there were fewer than 30 startups in the base year. In the state panel and lists we show only sectors with at least 100 startups in 2018.

County and metro closures

BDS 2023 county and metro tables, establishment exit and entry counts and rates for 2023. Metro areas use the Census Bureau's metropolitan and micropolitan boundaries as named in the Vintage 2025 population file; boundaries may differ slightly between vintages. BDS has no county or metro survival table.

Frequently asked questions

Which industry has the highest failure rate?

Information, on the five-year measure: 54.3% of new information establishments closed within five years and 45.7% were still open. On the one-year measure it is also information (71.6% survived). On the ten-year measure it is mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction (24.5% survived).

Which industries survive the longest?

At five years, agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting (61.8%), utilities (61.6%) and other services (60.0%).

What percentage of restaurants fail?

BLS does not publish restaurants separately in these tables. For accommodation and food services, which includes restaurants, 14.7% of new establishments closed within one year and 40.7% within five (85.3% and 59.3% survived).

What percentage of construction businesses fail?

20.3% of new construction establishments closed within one year and 43.5% within five years (79.7% and 56.5% survived).

Do survival rates by industry differ by state?

Yes. The state table gives firm-based rates for each state and industry, from the Census Bureau, and says where they are not available.

Cite this page

You are welcome to use these figures and charts with a link to this page. For a single state, link to this page with the state's postal code at the end, for example #tx.

Suggested citation

Mainstay Filing, "Business Survival Rates by Industry," updated October 18, 2026, using U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Business Employment Dynamics, Establishment Age and Survival, Table 7 by industry (data through March 2025). https://mainstayfiling.com/research/business-survival-rates-by-industry/

Last updated:October 18, 2026
Data through:March 2025 (BLS); 2023 (Census)
Next update:after BLS publishes data through March 2026

Sources

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Business Employment Dynamics, Establishment Age and Survival, Table 7 by industry. https://www.bls.gov/bdm/bdmage.htm. Data through March 2025; downloaded October 18, 2026.
U.S. Census Bureau, Business Dynamics Statistics 2023, state by sector by firm age. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds.html. Downloaded October 18, 2026.
U.S. Census Bureau, Business Dynamics Statistics 2023, county and metropolitan statistical area tables. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds.html. Downloaded October 18, 2026.
U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates, county and metro names. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest.html.

Survival by state for all industries together is on the business failure rate page.

Mainstay Filing is a business filing service, not a law firm or tax advisor. This page reports public government statistics and is not legal, tax or financial advice.