AS per OECD Study, young people, women and seniors have fewer opportunities to transform their business ideas into reality. They are faced with problems of access to finance, skills and networks that make it harder for them than for other groups in society to start-up their ventures. These "missing entrepreneurs" are costing economies ideas, innovation and jobs.

The new OECD-European Union report "The Missing Entrepreneurs 2021" shows there could be an additional nine million people starting and managing new business in the European Union (EU) – and 35 million across OECD countries – if everyone was as active in business creation as 30-49 year-old men. This could translate into 50% more people engaged in early-stage entrepreneurship in the EU and 40% more in OECD countries. To help close that gap, the additional barriers faced by under-represented social groups need to be addressed. About three-quarters of these "missing" entrepreneurs are women, half are over 50 years old and one-in-eight are under 30 years old.

Youth create fewer businesses in the EU than those aged 50 and older. Nearly one-quarter of the 18 million people involved in starting or managing a new business in the EU in 2020 were more than 50 years old – a greater share than those who were between 18 and 30 years old. More needs to be done to support youth in realising their entrepreneurial potential. Surveys suggest nearly 45% of university students intend to start a business within five years of graduation, yet only 5% of people aged 18 to 30 are actively working on a start-up. This drop-off can be explained by several factors, including skills gaps. Those under 30 years old are only 85% as likely as those older than 50 years old to be confident in their skills and knowledge to create a business.

Women are less active than men in business creation. Over the period 2016-20, fewer than 5% of women in the EU were involved in creating a business or managing one less than 42 months old relative to 8% of men. A similar gap appears in OECD countries where 9% of women were starting and managing new businesses compared to 13% of men. These gender gaps are caused by several factors, including barriers in financial markets, skills gaps and institutional conditions that affect motivations. For example, women are about 75% as likely as men in OECD and EU countries to report having the skills needed to start a business. This gender gap represents a missed opportunity for economic growth.