Under 30 and self-employed: Germany’s founders are younger than ever
More and more young people in Germany are starting their own business. According to KfW, the number of founders under 30 reached a record high in 2025.
Frankfurt am Main (d.de) – More and more young people in Germany are opting for self-employment. According to the latest KfW Entrepreneurship Monitor, around 40 percent of founders in 2025 were under the age of 30 – a record high, according to the development bank.
The average age also continued to fall, reaching 34.2 in 2025. In the early 2000s, it was between 37 and 38. More than one fifth of young founders launched their businesses straight after university.
The total number of start-ups rose to around 690,000 in 2025, with the sharpest increase being seen in part-time start-ups, as many people looked for additional sources of income given the current economic situation.
According to KfW, successful start-ups and influencers serve as key role models. According to KfW Chief Economist Dirk Schumacher, young people today are increasingly exposed to entrepreneurs through social media and digital platforms, with
entrepreneurial spirit particularly strong among the under-30s. 36 percent of respondents said they would rather be self-employed than work for a company.
KfW has published the Entrepreneurship Monitor annually since 2000. The latest study surveyed 50,000 people in Germany.
