Press Release: Mercantile Companies Statistics (MC). May 2026. Provisional data.

Main results

The number of mercantile companies created decreased by 15.4% in May compared to the same month in 2025.
The number of dissolved companies decreased by 2.6% rated annually.

More information

Annex of tables (includes information from the Autonomous Communities)
Detailed results

In May, 11,194 mercantile companies were incorporated, 15.4% less than in the same month of 2025. The subscribed capital for their incorporation fell by 19.7% for the year and the average subscribed capital (€52,981) fell by 5.1%.

On the other hand, 2,417 companies increased their capital, 0.6% more than in May 2025. The subscribed capital in these increases rose by 35.5%.

The number of dissolved mercantile companies decreased by 2.6% in the annual rate. 84.4% of them did so voluntarily.

Mercantile companies created, increasing their capital and dissolved. May 2026

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Results by main economic activity

19.2% of the mercantile companies created in May were engaged in Real Estate, Finance and Insurance and 16.6% in Construction. As for dissolved companies, 22.3% were engaged in Trade and 14.4% in Construction

Mercantile companies created by main economic activity. May 2026

Percentaje

Mercantile companies dissolved by main economic activity. May 2026

Percentage

The category according its economic activity with the largest subscribed capital of mercantile companies incorporated was Real estate, financial and insurance, with 417.02 million euros. As for Information and communications, these companies reported the lowest capital, with 4.66 million.

Capital subscribed of mercantile companies created by main economic activity. May 2026

Thousands of euros

Results by Autonomous Community

La Rioja (15.4%) and Comunidad Foral de Navarra (4.9%) reported the only annual increases in the number of mercantile companies created in May.

In turn, Castilla-La Mancha (-24.7%), Cataluña (-22.1%) and Andalucía (-19.7%) registered the sharpest declines.

Annual variation in mercantile companies created by Autonomous Community. May 2026

Percentage

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Data revisions and updates

The data for 2026 are provisional and will be reviewed when the data for the same period in 2027 are published. All the results of this operation are available at INEbase.

In accordance with the Commission's Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/137 the INE has begun to work on incorporating the new National Classification of Economic Activities CNAE-2025 in all its statistical operations.

In the case of Mercantile Companies, the first publication of results with CNAE-2025 will take place in March 2028.

Methodological note

The Mercantile Companies Statistics were created by Order of 30 April 1938. Their objective is to measure the demographics of companies, providing monthly information, at provincial and Autonomous Community level, on the companies incorporated, dissolved and those in which there have been changes in capital.

The source of information is the Central Mercantile Registry, which collects all provincial information on the registration of companies and entrepreneurs, as well as mercantile acts determined by law.

Type of survey:: continuous monthly survey.
Population scope:: set of companies registered in the Central Mercantile Register.
Geographical scope:: the entire national territory, by Autonomous Communities and provinces.
Reference period of the results:: the calendar month.
Reference period of the information:: the calendar month.
Collection method:: official records.

More information on the methodology and the standardised methodological report.

INE statistics are produced in accordance with the Code of Good Practice for European Statistics. More information on Quality at the INE and the Code of Best Practice.