The U.S. Census Bureau released new Business Formation Statistics for February 2026, according to a March 11 announcement. The data provide updated information on new business applications and formations across the United States and Puerto Rico.
These statistics are important because they offer timely insights into trends in entrepreneurship and economic activity. Policymakers, researchers, and businesses use this information to track changes in business creation at both national and regional levels.
The monthly release includes all twelve series of the dataset—four related to business applications and eight concerning business formations. Data are available for the nation, regions, states, and Puerto Rico. The release covers both seasonally adjusted and not seasonally adjusted figures.
The Business Formation Statistics are developed through collaboration between the Census Bureau and economists from several institutions: the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, the University of Maryland, and the University of Notre Dame.
No additional news release accompanied this announcement; it was distributed as a tip sheet only.
