Data / Rankings / Active companies / EU regions (NUTS 2)

EU regions (NUTS 2) by active companies

Catalonia had the highest active companies of 19 regions in 2021, at 622,967. Ceuta had the lowest, at 3,749. The median was 98,120. Source: the Instituto Nacional de Estadística.

Highest622,967Catalonia
Lowest3,749Ceuta
Median98,12019 regions

All regions, 2021

CSVChart (SVG)

CataloniaCatalonia: 622,967 count622,967Community of MadridCommunity of Madrid: 547,040 count547,040AndalusiaAndalusia: 531,160 count531,160Valencian CommunityValencian Community: 368,044 count368,044GaliciaGalicia: 194,657 count194,657Castile and LeónCastile and León: 157,131 count157,131Canary IslandsCanary Islands: 147,999 count147,999Basque CountryBasque Country: 139,824 count139,824Castilla-La ManchaCastilla-La Mancha: 127,673 count127,673Balearic IslandsBalearic Islands: 98,120 count98,120Region of MurciaRegion of Murcia: 95,294 count95,294AragonAragon: 88,602 count88,602AsturiasAsturias: 67,573 count67,573ExtremaduraExtremadura: 66,386 count66,386NavarreNavarre: 44,334 count44,334CantabriaCantabria: 38,636 count38,636La RiojaLa Rioja: 22,357 count22,357MelillaMelilla: 5,024 count5,024CeutaCeuta: 3,749 count3,749
count. Source: INE. Retrieved 2026-10-07.

Full ranking

RankRegions2021
count		Change on 2020
1Catalonia622,967-1.1%
2Community of Madrid547,040-0.9%
3Andalusia531,1600%
4Valencian Community368,044-0.7%
5Galicia194,657-1.6%
6Castile and León157,131-1.9%
7Canary Islands147,999-3.1%
8Basque Country139,824-2.2%
9Castilla-La Mancha127,673-0.8%
10Balearic Islands98,120-1.9%
11Region of Murcia95,294-1.5%
12Aragon88,602-2.3%
13Asturias67,573-1.3%
14Extremadura66,386-1.4%
15Navarre44,334-0.2%
16Cantabria38,636-0.6%
17La Rioja22,357-1.5%
18Melilla5,024-4%
19Ceuta3,749-2.5%

Other periods

About this ranking

Active companies on 1 January (INE Central Business Directory, DIRCE).

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the regions are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE). Directorio central de empresas: empresas activas por provincia (tabla 302). https://www.ine.es/jaxiT3/Tabla.htm?t=302. Retrieved 2026-10-07.

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Questions

Which region has the highest active companies?

Catalonia, with 622,967 in 2021, according to the Instituto Nacional de Estadística.

Which region has the lowest active companies?

Ceuta, with 3,749 in 2021.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: Instituto Nacional de Estadística, Directorio central de empresas: empresas activas por provincia (tabla 302). Retrieved 2026-10-07.

Active companies: other rankings

EU regions (NUTS 2): more rankings