Entrepreneur Statistics in 2024 in Narva
As of January 18, 2025, there were 4,520 businesses in Commercial Register, registered in Narva. A year earlier, on January 18, 2024, this number was 4,689. Over the year, the number of businesses decreased by 169. Overall, entrepreneurial activity in Narva remains one of the lowest in Estonia.
According to the Tax and Customs Board, in 2024, Narva had 1,442 active businesses, accounting for only 1.5% of all active businesses in Estonia (96,876). Although Narva has 4,352 registered legal entities, this indicates that a significant portion of businesses are not operational.
Data from Statistics Estonia shows that in 2024, Narva had 2,538 active businesses, Ida-Viru County had 6,799, and Estonia as a whole had 158,378. The low proportion of active businesses compared to registered ones highlights the need to focus on supporting existing businesses and improving their sustainability.
Small and medium-sized enterprises dominate in Narva. At the beginning of 2025, private limited companies made up the largest share, with 3,378 businesses or 74.7% of all registered entities. They were followed by sole proprietors (735, or 16.3%) and general partnerships (262, or 5.8%).
Only two large enterprises operate in the city: OÜ Fortaco Estonia, employing 774 people according to the Tax and Customs Board, and AS Hanza Mechanics Narva, with 256 employees. Major employers for Narva residents, such as AS Enefit Power, AS Enefit Solutions, OÜ Maxima Eesti, and OÜ Aquaphor International, are registered in other cities in Estonia and are not included in Narva’s business statistics.
Public limited companies, requiring a minimum share capital of €25,000, number just 23 in Narva. These are mostly medium or large enterprises, making up only 0.5% of all businesses in the city.
In 2024, there were 48 active businesses per 1,000 residents in Narva, compared to an average of 115 across Estonia. This low level of entrepreneurial activity may reflect challenging conditions for starting a business and insufficient motivation for entrepreneurship. However, this low activity can also be seen as an opportunity for investors, as low competition leaves room for new business models and unoccupied niches.
As of November 2024, goods and services exported from Narva amounted to a total of €211.5 million. This demonstrates that, despite low entrepreneurial activity, the city remains a significant player in the export market.
Entrepreneurship statistics based on the Business Register data
| As of January 18, 2022 | As of January 18, 2023 | As of January 18, 2024 | As of January 18, 2025 | |
| Registered in the Business Register (businesses and non-profit organizations, housing cooperatives, foundations, state and local government agencies), including: | 5676 | 5703 | 5830 | 5667 |
| Business entities, including: | 4582 | 4586 | 4689 | 4520 |
| Joint-stock companies | 26 | 26 | 24 | 23 |
| Sole proprietorship | 896 | 842 | 793 | 735 |
| Profit-sharing cooperatives | 112 | 96 | 95 | 92 |
| Private limited companies | 3272 | 3333 | 3456 | 3378 |
| General partnerships | 67 | 67 | 63 | 52 |
| Partnership or trust | 209 | 222 | 258 | 240 |
| Branch of a foreign company | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Housing cooperative | 429 | 425 | 428 | 428 |
| Non-profit organizations | 601 | 630 | 638 | 578 |
| Joint-stock companies | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 |
| State and local government institutions, including: | 49 | 51 | 47 | 43 |
| State authorities | 2 | 4 | 4 | 5 |
| Local government authorities | 47 | 48 | 43 | 38 |
* As of January 18, 2025, according to the data from the Business Register. Total: 5667 entrepreneurs, including:
registered – 5465: JSC-19, LLC-3255, sole proprietorships -735, profit-sharing cooperatives -91, general partnerships -52, partnerships or trust -240, non-profit organizations -576, foundations -13, housing cooperatives -428, local government institutions-38, trade unions – 12, government institutions – 5, branch of a foreign enterprise – 1;
in liquidation – 190: general partnerships -11, LLC-114, profit-sharing cooperatives -2, partnerships or trust -22, non-profit organization -37, trade union -1;
in bankruptcy proceedings – 112: JSC-4, LLC-8.
Narva’s Enterprises by Sector of Activity in 2024
The key sectors driving Narva’s economy are trade, services, and construction. The leading force remains wholesale and retail trade, along with vehicle repair, encompassing nearly 700 businesses. This highlights the city’s deep connection to commerce and everyday services.
Next are other service sector, covering approximately 400 businesses. The construction sector takes third place, with about 300 companies, underscoring its significant contribution to the development of the city’s infrastructure and overall economy.
Industry and logistics also hold their place in Narva’s economic landscape, though their impact is noticeably smaller compared to trade and services. The manufacturing sector includes around 200 businesses, while logistics and transport involve slightly fewer. These figures demonstrate the importance of industry to Narva while also showing that it does not dominate the local economy.
Particular attention should be given to the fields of culture, leisure, and education, which remain underdeveloped. However, these areas hold tremendous potential for growth. The relatively small number of businesses in these sectors provides fertile ground for those ready to introduce new ideas and expand these areas.
Narva awaits innovators who can diversify its economic and cultural landscape, making the city more vibrant, dynamic, and appealing.