Business registrations slip 7.38% in H1

Entrepreneurial momentum slowed in the first half of 2025, as business name registrations declined by 7.38 percent compared to the same period last year, according to data from the Department of Trade and Industry’s (DTI) Business Name Registration System (BNRS).

From January to June, the DTI recorded 629,017 business name registrations, down from 679,117 in the same six-month period in 2024. Of this year’s total, 537,418 were new registrations, while 91,599 were renewals. These filings pertain to single proprietorships, which the DTI clarifies serve as legal business identities but are not licenses to operate.

Despite the overall dip in the first semester, June posted a modest rebound, with 71,563 registrations – an 8.22 percent increase from 66,127 in May. However, this was still slightly lower than the 73,537 recorded in June 2024.

As of 8 July, the BNRS logged 648,440 business names registered for the year, including 554,251 new filings and 94,189 renewals. This running total includes early July registrations and already matches the total recorded in the first half of last year.

Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles, continued to account for the largest share of business name registrations, with 321,796 filings. Food and beverage services followed with 74,311 registrations, while real estate activities accounted for 35,893. Other personal service activities recorded 21,542 registrations, and wholesale and retail trade and repair of motor vehicles registered 19,784.

Region IV-A (Calabarzon) maintained its lead among regions with 119,136 business names registered, followed by National Capital Region (NCR) with 84,807 and Region III with 84,754.

The DTI also reported that digital adoption remains strong, with 549,006 business name applications – or 84.67 percent of the total – filed online through the BNRS platform. The remainder were processed onsite or through a combination of online and in-person channels.

In 2024, total business name registrations rose by 7.87 percent to 1,061,738 million from 984,329 in 2023. Whether 2025 can sustain that momentum will depend on broader economic conditions and the resilience of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the second half of the year.