Ireland is revealed as the 2nd best European country to start a business, in research by Tide.
The study looked at national performance indicators for 28 European countries, including GDP, unemployment rate and the practicalities of starting a company to reveal the best European countries to start a business.
You can view the research in full here: https://www.tide.co/blog/business-tips/best-european-country-to-start-a-business/
Top 10 European countries to start a business
| Rank | Country | GDP 2019 | Unemployment rate | Time required to start a business (days) | New business density | Ease of doing business score (/100) | Gender pay gap (%) |
| 1 | UK | 2,827,113,184,696 | 3.85% | 5 | 15.6 | 84 | 17.3 |
| 2 | Ireland | 388,698,711,348 | 4.93% | 11 | 7.1 | 80 | 11.3 |
| 3 | Netherlands | 909,070,395,161 | 3.20% | 4 | 6.4 | 76 | 14.6 |
| 4 | Denmark | 348,078,018,464 | 4.91% | 4 | 10 | 85 | 14 |
| 5 | Estonia | 31,386,949,981 | 5.11% | 4 | 23.6 | 81 | 21.7 |
| 6 | Sweden | 530,832,908,738 | 6.48% | 8 | 7.2 | 82 | 11.8 |
| 7 | France | 2,715,518,274,227 | 8.43% | 4 | 4.8 | 77 | 16.5 |
| 8 | Slovenia | 53,742,159,517 | 4.20% | 8 | 3.1 | 77 | 7.9 |
| 9 | Lithuania | 54,219,315,600 | 6.35% | 6 | 3.3 | 82 | 13.3 |
| 10 | Romania | 250,077,444,017 | 3.98% | 20 | 7.3 | 73 | 3.3 |
The UK was named the best European country to start a business thanks to the country’s large economy, low unemployment rate, and ease to start and run a business. The UK also has the lowest costs associated with starting a business (tied with Slovenia). Ireland is another top contender, pairing its strong economy with reasonable tax rates and ease of starting and running a business. Followed closely by the Netherlands in third place, thanks to a combination of its high market capitalisation, simplicity of starting a company, and very low unemployment rate. The biggest surprise at the top of our table is Estonia, which landed in fifth place after a strong showing in many different categories, including the ease of doing business. Estonia is the first place to offer e-Residency which means that anyone can base their business and finances in the country – potentially causing the influx of new businesses being created there. Further insights:
- Luxembourg has the narrowest gender pay gap out of all of the countries the study looked at
- Germany is the leader in the GDP category, which means they have a bigger economy with more activity. This could make a great place to run your business, as it may provide a larger potential market for your business
- Czech Republic has the lowest unemployment rate
To view the research in full please visit
https://www.tide.co/blog/business-tips/best-european-country-to-start-a-business/
