More than 519,000 individual entrepreneurs work in Moscow
The number of individual entrepreneurs in Moscow has exceeded 519,000, according to the Unified State Register of Individual Entrepreneurs as of April 1, 2026. During the year, their number increased by 38.5 thousand. This was reported by the Moscow Department of Economic Policy and Development.
About 499,000 sole proprietors — over 96 percent — belong to small and medium-sized businesses, all of them are included in the Unified Register of Small and Medium-sized Businesses. In Moscow, there were eight percent more individuals in this status compared to the beginning of the second quarter of last year.
More than a quarter of the capital's sole proprietors — 138.6 thousand — work in trade, of which almost 80 percent are in the retail business. 67,000 entrepreneurs — about 13 percent — are engaged in professional, scientific and technical activities. 57.8 thousand sole proprietors are registered in the field of real estate transactions — 12 percent.
During the year, the largest increase in the number of sole proprietors was recorded in the field of transportation and storage, which amounted to 13 percent. Culture, sports and entertainment are in second place in terms of growth, while information and communications are in third place. The growth in the number of entrepreneurs in them amounted to 11 percent each.
According to the Moscow Department of Economic Policy and Development, every ninth Russian sole proprietor works in Moscow.
Individual entrepreneurs also act as an employer. According to the Unified Register of Small and Medium—sized Businesses, at the beginning of April, the capital's sole proprietors employed more than 175.2 thousand employees - 10 percent more than a year earlier.
Individual entrepreneurs play an important role in the development of Moscow. Thanks to them, jobs are being created in the city, competition is developing, and consumer activity is growing. The capital's wide consumer market allows them to choose their fields of activity and work formats, and modern digital services simplify starting and running a business, from registration to online communication with clients.
The city supports entrepreneurs by providing them with grants, subsidies, deferrals on rent payments, and consulting assistance, which makes Moscow an attractive place for business development and contributes to the growth of the number of sole proprietors.
