The U.S. Census Bureau released new Business Formation Statistics for March 2026, according to an April 8 announcement. The data provide updated information on new business applications and formations across the United States and Puerto Rico.
The Business Formation Statistics (BFS) are intended to offer timely insights into trends in entrepreneurship and economic activity by tracking the number of new businesses being established each month. This information is important for understanding changes in the business landscape and can inform policy decisions as well as economic forecasts.
According to the Census Bureau, the BFS dataset includes twelve series—four related to business applications and eight concerning actual formations—which are published monthly with breakdowns at national, regional, and state levels. For Puerto Rico, four monthly business application series are also provided as part of the standard BFS product. The data include both seasonally adjusted and not seasonally adjusted figures.
The BFS was developed through research collaboration between the U.S. Census Bureau and economists from institutions such as the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, University of Maryland, and University of Notre Dame.
No news release accompanied this data update; it was issued as a tip sheet only.
