Half of Belgian young people want to start their own business
November 2024 - An annual survey by SD Worx of over 16,000 employees in ten European countries, including a thousand working Belgians, shows that almost half of under-25s would like to start their own business.
This trend can also be seen at Xerius, the largest business counter for self-employed people in our country. It is start-ups under 25 that have increased the most in number over the past four years (+8%).
Student self-employed are also among them. Of all student self-employed people who started at Xerius since 2017, a quarter (24%) will be self-employed in main or secondary occupations by 2024. Almost one in three (29%) are still active as student self-employed.
From the age of 25, the high willingness to be an entrepreneur falls back: among 25 to 34-year-olds, it is still a quarter (25%). Between the ages of 35 and 49, one in five Belgians (20%) would like to start their own business. After 50, the entrepreneurial spirit drops to 8% (and less). According to the SD Worx survey, on average one in five Belgians (19%) would like to start their own business, whether or not in a secondary occupation.
SD Worx's annual barometer also shows that only a small group of young people (6%) take the step towards effective entrepreneurship. This gap between intention and action may be due to a lack of knowledge or guidance. To close this gap, SD Worx advocates better support from education and a more entrepreneurial mindset among young people. A strong network of opinion leaders and role models can also inspire and inform young people about what it is like to be an entrepreneur.
