The U.S. Census Bureau has released the latest Business Formation Statistics (BFS) for January 2026, providing updated information on new business applications and formations across the United States and Puerto Rico.
The BFS is a regular data product from the Census Bureau, created in partnership with economists from several institutions including the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, the University of Maryland, and the University of Notre Dame. The statistics are published monthly and include data at national, regional, and state levels.
According to the Census Bureau, “The BFS provide timely and high frequency information on new business applications and formations in the United States and Puerto Rico.” The dataset includes twelve series—four related to applications and eight related to formations—and covers both seasonally adjusted and non-seasonally adjusted figures. Four monthly business application series specific to Puerto Rico are also part of this release.
There was no separate news release accompanying this announcement; only a tip sheet was provided.
