Across a broad spectrum, up to 77% of the population holds a positive or very positive view of Spanish businesspeople, with slightly higher appreciation among women and older adults. People also value the economic and social contributions they make, rating them at 7.5 on a perceptual scale when asked to assess impact.
The findings come from the Entrepreneur Valuation Barometer, driven by the Valencian Businessmen Association and conducted by GAD3 in collaboration with the Valencian Institute for Economic Research (Ivie).
Joaquin Maudos, deputy director of the organization, has led efforts to quantify the business sector’s footprint on the national economy. He notes that more than 3.4 million companies operate nationwide, accounting for 85.2% of national GDP (1,028,296 million euros) and 84.3% of employment, which translates to roughly 17.2 million jobs.
The enterprise landscape is predominantly made up of small and medium-sized enterprises. About 95.7% have no employees or fewer than ten workers, while only around 0.72% are medium or large-scale companies.
The AVE president Vicente Boluda spoke during the presentation, with European Press coverage highlighting the moment.
The research highlights that the private sector also drives production in Spain, with 90.8% of total investment coming from private entities. In 2021, the most recent year reported, private companies invested 216,566 million euros, while public administrations invested 21,984 million euros. The study also notes that private investment dominated ICT assets with 90.4% and intangible assets with 95%, both critical for productivity and closely linked to the information society.
During the presentation, a graphic overview illustrated the composition of Spain’s productive fabric, with an emphasis on private sector dominance in investment and output.
Evaluation
Narciso Michavila, president and founder of GAD3, led a survey involving 2,500 respondents to gauge public perception of business leaders. The results show a view that exceeds prior expectations, with 77% describing entrepreneurs as positive or very positive. The positive sentiment is rising among women and older age groups, and participants overall assign a 7.5 rating to the work and contributions of business leaders.
In the survey, four out of ten participants expressed admiration for certain firms due to their corporate culture and good practices. Inditex emerges as a frequently cited example, and Amancio Ortega, founder of the textile group, is among the most admired business figures, followed by Valencian Juan Roig, founder of Mercadona.
Boluda and Roig responded to a political party’s viewpoint by underscoring that wealth and jobs are created by businessmen and women who drive growth.
When describing entrepreneur traits, the most commonly cited are innovation, wealth creation, and creativity, reflecting four out of five respondents.
Entrepreneurship
About half of those surveyed acknowledge that Spanish society leans toward entrepreneurship. Yet only 17% view it as easy or very easy to start a business in the country.
Motivation is identified by 60% as a key driver, followed by creativity (44%) and perseverance (40%) as essential traits. A lack of capital is cited by one in four respondents as the main obstacle to starting a business.
Michavila emphasizes that Spain does not lack ideas; what is needed are solid support structures, legal protections, capital access, and a clearer understanding of how workers and managers can perform at their best.
Among those who undertake business ventures, around 63% report high satisfaction or happiness with their decision. The main reasons for this satisfaction include tangible achievements and economic benefits.
As one AVE representative noted, entrepreneurs drive employment, innovation, investment, and internationalization while also supporting the welfare state through taxes paid with their teams and partners.
Valencian Community companies gain but lose jobs due to transfers between autonomous regions
The ATA president highlighted the importance of the barometer, noting that it helps value and take pride in what the business community achieves, especially in light of current conditions.
The launch of the 1st Entrepreneur Valuation Barometer concluded with a round-table discussion featuring leaders from various business networks, including the Cercle d’Economia, AVE, Health in Code, and the Family Business Institute. The conversation reflected society’s assessments of entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship as revealed by the new data.