Working Papers
The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor GEM - BELARUS 2024–2025
GEM is a large - scale international collaborative research initiative that analyzes various forms of entrepreneurial activity and related factors. In particular, postulating the crucial role of entrepreneurship in productivity growth, job creation, and innovati on, the GEM project examines the characteristics of the thinking, motivation, and aspirations of nascent and established entrepreneurs, as well as the state of the environment necessary for the development of entrepreneurship in a country.
KEY FINDINGS
The results of the GEM study show that the level of entrepreneurial activity in Belarus has been growing in recent years. Key indicators such as the percentage of the population engaged in early - stage entrepreneurship, the percentage of potential entrepren eurs, and assessments of the ease and opportunities for starting a business are increasing despite unfavorable external factors. At the same time, although fear of failure has increased since 2019 due to risks and uncertainty, it has not become a deterrent to starting one's own business, which reflects the resilience, adaptability, and self - sufficiency of Belarusian entrepreneurs.
The positive attitude towards entrepreneurship in society remains stable: Belarusians still see business as a prospect for themselves and their children, associating it with opportunities for self - realization, freedom, and financial well - being. At the same time, the motivation of Belarusians to start their own business is changing. Although many entrepreneurs are still driven by the need to secure a source of income, their share has decreased significantly. At the same time, the proportion of those motivate d by a desire to " make a difference in the world " is growing. This shift from survival to self - fulfillment and social influence can be attributed to the dynamics of socio - economic development and the willingness of entrepreneurs to take on new social roles.