Entrepreneurship Rises Compared to Three Years Ago... Positive Perception Highest for "Startups"

Individual Score Up 0.2 Points, Corporate Score Up 3.7 Points from Previous Survey
Startups and Ventures Lead in Positive Perception, SMEs Rank Lowest
Positive Perception of Companies Increases...7.1-Point Gap with Anti-Corporate Sentiment

A recent survey found that the level of entrepreneurship in Korea has risen for both companies and individuals compared with three years ago. Among different types of companies, startups showed the most positive public perception, while small and medium-sized enterprises recorded the lowest.

According to the "2025 Entrepreneurship Survey" released on February 4 by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups and the Korea Entrepreneurship Foundation, the overall entrepreneurship score on a 100-point scale was 56.6 points for individuals and 51.4 points for companies. Compared with the survey conducted three years ago, the individual score rose by 0.2 points and the corporate score by 3.7 points.

For individuals, the entrepreneurship level was 46.6 points, up 0.2 points. By category, entrepreneurial orientation scored 57.8 points (up 0.1 points) and entrepreneurial competency scored 57.8 points (up 0.4 points), while entrepreneurial attitude remained unchanged at 54.2 points.

The entrepreneurship index by gender was 54.5 points for both men and women. By age group, those in their 60s recorded the highest score at 54.8 points. The entrepreneurship scores of people in their 20s and 30s declined sharply over the past three years, with those in their 20s at 54.6 points (down 5.2 points) and those in their 30s at 54.2 points (down 4.9 points). People in their 40s scored 54.3 points, and those in their 50s 54.6 points.

The corporate perception survey showed an increase in positive views. The positive perception score (64.5 points) rose by 0.5 points, while anti-corporate sentiment (57.4 points) declined by 0.2 points.

By type of company, positive perception was highest for startups (64.3 points), followed by venture companies (63.8 points), large enterprises (62.9 points), and small and medium-sized enterprises (62.2 points). This indicates that a favorable perception is forming toward companies with high innovativeness and growth potential. Compared with the survey three years ago, the scores declined by 0.6 points for startups, 0.7 points for venture companies, 0.9 points for large enterprises, and 0.6 points for small and medium-sized enterprises.

The overall corporate entrepreneurship index was 51.4 points, up 3.7 points from 47.7 points in 2022. By category, improvements were seen across the board, including vision and strategy (up 0.2 points), entrepreneurial orientation (up 2.4 points), culture and structure (up 2.8 points), and operating systems (up 5.7 points). In particular, improvements in performance (up 9.7 points) and business environment (up 8.6 points) were notable.

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups explained, "The results show that the structural conditions supporting entrepreneurship within companies, including internal systems and overall organization and operations, are gradually being strengthened."

Looking at entrepreneurship levels by industry classification, "education services (62.7 points)" recorded the highest score. This was followed by transportation and warehousing at 61.3 points and financial and insurance activities at 61.2 points.

By growth stage, high-growth companies showed relatively higher levels compared with other groups. The entrepreneurship scores by growth stage were highest for high-growth companies (59.7 points), followed by early-growth companies (59.5 points), mature companies (56.3 points), and declining companies (46.6 points).

The survey results can be found on the Korea Entrepreneurship Foundation website. They will also be available on the National Statistical Portal from March 3.

Cho Kyungwon, Director General for Startup Policy, said, "It is encouraging that entrepreneurship among individuals and companies has improved despite the sluggish economic conditions," adding, "We plan to continue contributing to the promotion of entrepreneurship in Korea through accurate statistical information and to use it as a basis for formulating major policies."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.