Get All Access for $5/mo

The Top 10 European Countries to Start a Business (Infographic) If you want to run a business, not just work at one, then these 10 countries are worth researching.

By Matthew McCreary

You're reading Entrepreneur Europe, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.

SmallBusinessPrices.co.uk

Starting a successful business is really hard. Not only do you need to work hard to see your vision through, to take on multiple roles and to take risks, but you also need a little luck along the way. You need to have the right sort of support around you, which can help you overcome tough times and thrive during the good ones.

Related: 5 European Countries Great for Startups

A new study by SmallBusinessPrices.co.uk can help you find a country that supports your business ambitions. The study weighs education levels, employment rates and several other factors to break down the top 10 European countries where you can start a business. Those top three are, in order:

  1. Ireland ranked first among the European countries in ease of paying taxes and fourth for ease of getting credit. Those low financial thresholds helped it take the top spot despite relatively low numbers in labor participation rate and mean monthly earnings.
  2. Iceland experienced 7.2 percent annual GDP growth, the highest number of any country on the list. Iceland's 83.8 percent labor participation also ranked first among the top 10.
  3. Sweden was ranked as the third-easiest country to start a business and the fourth easiest country for trading across borders. Those numbers helped overcome its relatively low-ranked mean monthly earnings.

For a full list of the top 10 countries, check out the infographic below.

Matthew McCreary

Entrepreneur Staff

Associate Editor, Contributed Content

Matthew McCreary is the associate editor for contributed content at Entrepreneur.com.
Business News

Amazon Has a Blank Book Problem: Buyers Report Receiving Fakes of Bestselling UFO Book

The book looked fine on the outside, but the inside was out-of-this-world.

Business News

Paramount Leadership Alludes to Layoffs If Merger Does Not Go Through

Paramount is awaiting approval on its merger with Skydance Media from majority shareholder Shari Redstone.

Side Hustle

This Former Starbucks Employee Started a Side Hustle That's Making More Than $70,000 a Month — and He's Not Done Yet

When Tom Saar moved to New York City, he spotted a lucrative business opportunity.

Business News

Microsoft Reportedly Lays Off Over 1,500 Employees in Cloud Sector as Partnership with OpenAI Strengthens

Alphabet also reportedly laid off employees from several teams in Google's cloud unit last week.

Marketing

6 SEO Tips to Help You Rank in the New Era of Quality Content

What is the best SEO strategy after Google's March 2024 core update? Here's what you need to know.

Business News

Is One Company to Blame for Soaring Rental Prices in the U.S.?

The FBI recently raided a major corporate landlord while investigating a rent price-fixing scheme. Here's what we know.