The University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus (UPRRP) presented findings Friday from the international Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) 2025 study measuring entrepreneurship in Puerto Rico. Lead researcher and UPRRP Business Administration professor Theany Calderón said the results provide an important snapshot of opportunities and challenges for entrepreneurship on the island, useful for shaping public policy and business support programs. Key findings include: fear of failure remains a barrier, cited by 43.2% of respondents as something that would stop them from starting a business, a figure largely unchanged since 2020.
Access to financing remains a challenge, with most entrepreneurs relying on personal savings and credit cards to start businesses. Women's entrepreneurial intent reached 27.2%, but their actual entrepreneurial activity rate was 13.9%, compared to 17.5% for men. The study also highlighted the need to strengthen financial education and advising to ensure business sustainability.
Although business closures decreased overall, the main reason for discontinuing operations in 2025 was lack of profitability, cited by 28.1% of those who closed businesses—a considerable increase from the prior year. The Early Entrepreneurial Activity Index (TEA), which measures the number of people starting businesses, stood at 15.6% in 2025.