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.
The Business Formation Statistics are designed to offer timely and frequent insights into trends in business creation. These statistics are developed through collaboration between the Census Bureau and economists from 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.
Each month, the full dataset is published with twelve series: four related to business applications and eight concerning business formations. The release includes national, regional, and state-level statistics. Additionally, four monthly business application series are provided specifically for Puerto Rico as part of the standard product. Both seasonally adjusted and unadjusted data are available in these releases.
There was no separate news release issued alongside this announcement; instead, it was distributed as a tip sheet.
The regular publication of these statistics is intended to support researchers, policymakers, and others interested in tracking economic activity related to new businesses.
