Female entrepreneurship is progressing in France, but at very different rates depending on the territories, sectors, and support systems. Where do we stand with business creations by women in 2025? What gaps persist between national data and local realities?
Territorial Disparities in Female Entrepreneurship in 2025
National averages mask significant disparities from one territory to another. The most recent data shows that some regions are approaching parity, while others lag behind.
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| Territory | Share of women among creators/leaders | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Seine-et-Marne | 44% of sole proprietorships created by women, 43% of leaders | Adie, 2025 |
| La Réunion | 46% of entrepreneurs funded by Adie | Adie, 2025 |
| Val de Loire | 43% of business leaders are women | Val de Loire TV, 2025 |
| National average (sole proprietorships) | 44% | DGE-Bpifrance Barometer, 2025 |
In Seine-et-Marne, female participation in the entrepreneurial chain has been continuously progressing since 2018. In La Réunion, the rate of 46% exceeds the national average by two points. These results are not coincidental: they are linked to the density of local support networks, particularly those of Adie.
Conversely, these figures reveal that the dynamic towards parity is not uniform. Territories without dedicated support systems show significantly lower rates. To follow all the news on J’entreprends Au Féminin, these local variations represent an angle often overlooked by global analyses.
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Business Transfer-Recovery: An Underutilized Lever by Female Entrepreneurs
The DGE-Bpifrance 2025 barometer reveals a figure that challenges preconceived notions about pure creation: 36% of transfer-recovery projects are led by women. Recovery is no longer a blind spot in female entrepreneurship.
This rate is striking because business recovery involves different skills than creating from scratch. It requires the ability to negotiate an acquisition price, assess a business’s assets, and manage a managerial transition with existing employees.
The barometer also highlights a structural point: businesses created by women with modest initial capital manage to generate value and employment. 26% of businesses created by women with less than 1,000 euros in capital achieve a level of revenue comparable to those launched with more resources. This finding puts the financing obstacle, often presented as the main barrier, into perspective.
Motivations and Barriers: What the France Active-Opinionway Study Measures
The France Active study, conducted with the French Banking Federation and Opinionway, measures the gap between the desire to start a business and the act of doing so. The conclusion is clear: 20% of women wish to create their own business, but the intention has decreased by 6% compared to the previous year among women, while it remains stable among men.
The stated motivations shed light on this paradox:
- 57% of women who take the plunge do so to realize a personal idea, placing the project at the center of the approach rather than social status
- 56% cite the search for meaning as the main driver, a rate higher than that of men on the same criterion
- Female entrepreneurs are particularly engaged in societal issues: the DGE-Bpifrance barometer notes a marked involvement in the fields of circular economy and ecological transition
However, the decline in entrepreneurial intention among women in an uncertain economic context points to a documented psychological barrier. The perception of financial risk weighs more heavily on women’s decisions, even when data shows that female-led businesses survive at comparable rates.
Typical Profile of a Female Business Creator: A Structural Evolution of the Economic Fabric
The profile of the French entrepreneur is transforming. Several barometers converge on one point: the female business creator is now a dominant figure among new entrepreneurs. She is no longer a minority segment to encourage, but a structural component of business creation.
This evolution is reflected in the sectors being invested in. Women are no longer solely focused on personal services or retail. The circular economy, health, digital technology, and production crafts are attracting an increasing share of female creators.
The ILO-WED program of the ILO, present in nearly 70 countries, confirms this trend on a global scale. The approach of this program targets three simultaneous levels:
- Combating social norms that limit women’s access to entrepreneurship
- Promoting inclusive regulations to facilitate business formalization
- Improving access to markets and support services
This international analytical framework sheds light on French disparities. The territories where female creation rates are progressing the most are those that combine financial support, mentoring, and access to mixed professional networks.
The decline in female entrepreneurial intention in 2025, despite rising concrete results, suggests that the main barrier is no longer technical or financial. Territorial data shows that where support exists, parity approaches. The challenge shifts towards confidence and visibility of role models, two levers that local networks and recent barometers help to strengthen.