On average, microempresas (small businesses) in Costa Rica have 13 years of economic activity, but there are differences by sector: in the agricultural sector, the average is 20 years, in the industry sector is 14 years, in the trade sector is 12 years and in the service sector the average 11 years, reported the National Institute of Statistics and Censuses (INEC).
According to the Encuesta Nacional de Microempresas de los Hogares 2019 (National Survey of Household Microenterprises 2019), “… another aspect that characterizes the microempresas, is that in 93.8% of economic activities, the producer works individually, with their partners or with people who help occasionally or unpaid (own account), the remaining 6.2%, are owners who employ people on a paid and permanent (employers), basis whether in their own home or another.
By sector of economic activity in 2019, of the 396,796 microempresas, the service sector accounted for 43.2%, with the highest concentration. In addition, industry accounts for 21.7%, commerce for 21.1% and agriculture for 14.1%.
Regarding service activities, the highest percentage of businesses are: transportation, food services, gardeners, beauty treatments, shrimp. In commerce, retail sales in establishments, at home and in the street prevail, as well as the maintenance and repair of motor vehicles; in industry, construction, the manufacture of bakery products and the production of dairy products predominate. In the agricultural activities, coffee and banana crops, cattle raising and pig farming are the most important. These are some examples of greater relative importance within a great diversity of activities developed by this sector of household enterprises.”
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