Globally, roughly 13 percent of the adult population studied in 147 countries by the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) are active in new or start-up entrepreneurial businesses.

Education and household income appear to be related to the desire to create a higher-growth small business (defined as 20 or more employees).

Of all world regions, entrepreneurial activity in Africa and South America is the lowest globally, compared to North America, Asia, EU and Oceania which has the highest entrepreneurial growth.

Of middle to low income economies, China stands out as a hotbed of high growth, high potential business development.

Less than 20 percent of the world's entrepreneurs receive any formal training in business prior to starting a business.

Global Entrepreneurship Monitor GEM Consortium)

Canadian Entrepreneurship Facts:

Every hour of every day, fourteen small businesses are started in Canada - only 5 (35 %) of those businesses started every hour will still be running five years later.

Nearly one half of all small businesses close within two years of start-up in Canada.

Of Canada's 2.31 million businesses, 94 percent (2.17 million establishments) have fewer than 20 employees.

80 percent of Canada's business establishments have fewer than four employees.

The western provinces, Yukon and Prince Edward Island have more business establishments than elsewhere, with the highest rates in Alberta and Saskatchewan at 91.2 and 88.1 per 1000 population respectively. Nunavut, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick have the lowest ratios of business establishments per 1000 population.

The contribution of small firms (less than 50 employees) to Canada's GDP (Gross Domestic Product) has increased from 23 percent in 2003 to 26 percent in 2007.

Over the period 1998 to 2008, small firms (< 100 employees) accounted for one out of every three jobs (36 percent) created, on average, in the private sector.

Spending on innovation by small businesses far outstrips that of larger firms, where, as a percentage of revenue (R&D intensity), small businesses spend 5% of revenue compared to 1% of revenue for larger firms.

In March, 2009 there were 921,600 self-employed women in Canada, or 35 percent of the total self-employed in Canada - the highest proportion of female self-employed in the world. The annual growth rate for self-employed women since 1976 has been 3.1% higher than the annual growth rate for self-employed men. According to GEM (Global Entrepreneurship Monitor), Canada is a global leader in women's entrepreneurship.

Over five million of Canada's 11 million workers are employed by small businesses, or 48% of the total labour force in the private sector.

Industry Canada