Economically active micro-entrepreneurs in France
Economically active micro-entrepreneurs in France stood at 1,660,015 Number in Q4 2025, according to URSSAF – Union de recouvrement des cotisations de sécurité sociale et d'allocations familiales. It is one of the indicators in the Micro-entrepreneurs table (Value · Quarterly), with a complete series running from Q1 2009 to Q4 2025. The complete series with an interactive chart, free to download.
This indicator in the Micro-entrepreneurs table
| Indicator | Q4-2025 | Q3-2025 | Q2-2025 | Q1-2025 | Q4-2024 | Q3-2024 | Q2-2024 | Q1-2024 | Q4-2023 | Q3-2023 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economically active | 1,660,015 | 1,608,724 | 1,612,323 | 1,549,776 | 1,595,890 | 1,523,514 | 1,533,894 | 1,478,953 | 1,490,618 | 1,422,444 | |
| Administratively active | 3,031,447 | 3,303,807 | 3,176,375 | 3,050,815 | 2,901,518 | 3,102,050 | 2,980,556 | 2,854,243 | 2,686,855 | 2,875,808 | |
| Declared turnover | 8,559.51 | 7,856.25 | 8,145.36 | 7,340.8 | 8,068.09 | 7,378.22 | 7,667.22 | 6,855.53 | 7,431.44 | 6,745.38 |
Understanding economically active micro-entrepreneurs in France
This series tracks the headcount of individuals operating under the simplified independent worker regime who successfully declare positive financial turnover during the observed period. It differs fundamentally from administrative tallies by filtering out registered entities that maintain legal status but generate zero commercial activity. By focusing on active generation of receipts, this measure provides a realistic gauge of operational self-employment. It excludes registered persons who remain dormant, dormant status being captured elsewhere in the administrative ledger.
Seasonality heavily influences this operational count, as specific service and tourism sectors experience predictable lulls and surges throughout the calendar year. Revisions to early figures occur as late financial returns are integrated into the database. When assessing performance, comparing equivalent quarters across successive years neutralizes seasonal distortions far better than sequential quarter-on-quarter evaluations. Analysts must avoid treating this operational headcount as equivalent to full-time equivalent employment, given the prevalence of secondary or partial-time engagements.
Frequently asked questions
- What distinguishes this economic activity count from administrative registries?
- This count requires the reporting of positive commercial revenue, whereas administrative registries include all legally open entities regardless of activity.
- Are individuals with zero reported turnover included in this series?
- No, entities failing to declare positive receipts during the reference window are intentionally omitted.
- Why is year-on-year analysis preferred over consecutive period comparisons?
- Year-on-year comparison effectively filters out predictable seasonal fluctuations inherent in independent service sectors.