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Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs

SME Performance Review

The SME performance review is one of the main tools the European Commission uses to monitor and assess countries' progress in implementing the SME strategy and the Small Business Act (SBA). With an emphasis on the priorities under the SME strategy and the SBA, the review brings comprehensive information on the performance of SMEs. It consists of 2 parts: an annual report on European SMEs and SME country fact sheets.

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Annual report on European SMEs

Brussels, 27 June 2023 - The 2022/2023 annual report on European SMEs is now available.

The annual report, prepared on a yearly basis, provides a synopsis of the size, structure and importance of SMEs to the European economy and an overview of the past and forecasted performance of SMEs from 2008 to 2023.

Annual report27 June 2023
SME Performance Review Annual Report 2022/2023

The situation for the EU SMEs is perilous and will remain so in the foreseeable future. Since early 2020, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the 24 million EU-27 SMEs, and more generally, SMEs throughout the world, have faced unprecedented economic uncertainty and turmoil. Moreover, through part of 2021 and 2022, SMEs faced difficulties in hiring new staff to meet an unexpectedly strong rebound in demand, while also having to deal with numerous new challenges. The inflation rates augmented drastically, especially during 2022, also provoking rises in interest rates, which in turn reduces access to finance. The increased energy costs and the increased raw material prices put extra pressure on enterprises.

Cover of the report
English
(4.29 MB - PDF)
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SME fact sheets

The SME fact sheets present an assessment of the progress in the implementation of the SME Strategy and the Small Business Act at national level. They focus on key performance indicators and national policy developments related to SME policy.

EU countries in 2023

Additional documents

Please note: The fact sheets do not constitute a comprehensive assessment of country policies, but rather contribute to the assessments, and should be regarded as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, any other relevant in-depth studies of SME policies.

Contact

grow-spratec [dot] europa [dot] eu (grow-spr[at]ec[dot]europa[dot]eu)