Financing SMEs and Entrepreneurs 2017
An OECD Scoreboard
Financing SMEs and Entrepreneurs 2017 provides information on debt, equity, asset-based finance, and framework conditions for SME and entrepreneurship finance, complemented with an overview of recent policy measures to support access to finance in 39 countries. The sixth instalment of this annual publication provides a solid evidence base to improve SME policy making. Almost a decade after the financial crisis, the financing situation of SMEs and entrepreneurs has generally improved in 2015 and the first half of 2016 in most participating countries, and indicates a more favourable business environment. While alternative sources of financing are gaining some traction, SMEs nevertheless remain very reliant on bank lending, making them vulnerable to credit market conditions and the economic climate.
Statistical resources on SME and entrepreneurship finance
Information on SME financing is often sparse and anecdotal in nature, hindering evidence-based policy making in this area. Moreover, difference in methodologies and definitions of available data on this issue vary significantly across countries, limiting the usefulness and reliability of international comparisons. The OECD can serve as a clearinghouse for national and multilateral efforts to improve the knowledge base on SME finance, by fostering international dialogue on this issue, and collecting and diffusing information on statistical resources. The list below represents a first step in this direction, providing links to relevant sources of information on SME and entrepreneurship finance, both for participating countries and at the international level.