Small business closures
James Webb made this Official Information request to Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment
The request was partially successful.
From: James Webb
Dear Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment,
Please provide me with the following data from 2020 - 2025 ytd.
How many small businesses were in operation? Can this please be provided as companies, partnerships, sole traders, and total?
How many new companies were incorporated?
How many companies closed/were removed from the companies register?
How many companies were incorporated and how many were closed by industry type (eg accommodation and food service, construction, mining, retail trade etc.)
Yours faithfully,
James Webb
From: NoReplyMinisterialServices
Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment
Kia ora James Webb,
On behalf of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment I
acknowledge your email of 7/11/2025 requesting, under the Official
Information Act 1982, the following:
Please provide me with the following data from 2020 - 2025 ytd.
How many small businesses were in operation? Can this please be provided
as companies, partnerships, sole traders, and total?
How many new companies were incorporated?
How many companies closed/were removed from the companies register?
How many companies were incorporated and how many were closed by industry
type (eg accommodation and food service, construction, mining, retail
trade etc.)
We will endeavour to respond to your request as soon as possible, and no
later than 5/12/2025, being 20 working days after the day your request
was received. If we are unable to respond to your request by then, we will
notify you of an extension of that timeframe. If you have any enquiries
regarding your request feel free to contact us via email to
[1][MBIE request email].
Nāku noa, nā
Ministerial Services
Strategy and Assurance
Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment
15 Stout Street, Wellington 6011 | P O Box 1473 Wellington 6140
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[MBIE request email]
From: Ministerials
Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment
Kia ora
Please see attached our response to your request for information under the
Official Information Act 1982.
Ngā mihi nui,
Ministerial Services
Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment
15 Stout Street, Wellington 6011 | PO Box 1473, Wellington 6140
Things to do with this request
- Add an annotation (to help the requester or others)
- Download a zip file of all correspondence (note: this contains the same information already available above).

