As a result of the update of the register of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the number of registered small and medium-sized enterprises in the country has exceeded 6.56 million, setting a record since records began. At the same time, the number of self-employed individuals reached 10.2 million people. Since the beginning of 2024, the trend of increasing the number of entrepreneurs from last year has continued: as of the end of 2023, the number of SMEs increased by 5.9% compared to 2022.> “At the beginning of 2024, the trend of increasing the number of small and medium-sized businesses has persisted. This indicates that the sector has successfully overcome the consequences of the sanctions shocks of recent years. This has been facilitated, among other things, by the implementation of a set of support measures for the SME sector within the framework of the national project 'Small and Medium Entrepreneurship' approved by the President,” emphasized Alexander Novak, Deputy Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation.At the same time, almost half of the SMEs created since the beginning of 2024 are engaged in retail and wholesale trade (38.2%), transportation (7.8%), and construction work (5.9%).> “The SME register contains about 2.34 million legal entities. Of these, micro enterprises account for about 2.14 million units, small enterprises for 184 thousand, and medium enterprises for 18 thousand. The number of individual entrepreneurs in the country is almost double – 4.2 million units,” noted Maxim Reshetnikov, Minister of Economic Development of Russia.> “Today, small and medium-sized businesses are full-fledged participants in the national economy, ensuring import substitution, developing production, and creating new jobs. In 2023, the share of SME loans in the total volume of lending reached 21%. For comparison, in 2020, this figure was only 10%. At the same time, the number of SME loans nearly doubled (increased by 72%) and accounted for 92% of all loans issued by the end of 2023. This indicates that small and medium business is striving for development and scaling,” noted Alexander Isayevich, CEO of the SME Corporation.