The number of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) continues to increase. As many as 52,300 SMEs worked in 2014, up 2.8% or 1,400 on 2013. Compared with 2010, the number of SMEs rose by 6,700, from 46,600. The SMEs represent about 97.4% of the total number of companies registered in Moldova, IPN has learned from the National Bureau of Statistics.

The people employed by SMEs came to 291,700, making up 56.2% of the total number of salary earners of companies. The revenues from sales of SMEs added up to 83.650,3 million lei, constituting 31.8% of the total revenues in the economy.

The analysis of the development of SMEs revealed an increase in the average size of SMEs. The average sales revenues per company in 2014 came to 1.599 million lei, an increase of 5.2% or 79,000 on 2013. The average revenues per employee were 286,800 lei, an increase of 27,400 lei or 10.5% on 2013. The average number of employees per enterprise in 2014 was six persons.

The largest part of the SMEs work in the field of trade. Last year these totaled 20,500 or 39.2% of the total number of SMEs. A number of 4,800 SMEs or 9.1% of the total number worked in the processing industry. An increasing number of enterprises work in the area of real estate transactions, rental and service provision, transport services and other sectors.

The number of sales increased at most of the SMEs, not yet at those working in the electric power, gas and water supply sector. The gross profit of the SMEs in 2014 came to 3.012,7 million lei, up 1.004,2 million on 2013.

The National Bureau of Statistics said the data were extracted from the financial (accounting) reports presented by the economic entities using the double-entry bookkeeping system.