Entrepreneurship in Málaga: tourism and commerce grow while the number of self-employed falls

New technologies and digitalisation continue to be the field chosen by the most entrepreneurs in Málaga. This is reflected in the latest edition of the Entrepreneurship Barometer, prepared by the Instituto Municipal para la Formación y el Empleo (IMFE), which places this sector at 20.9% of projects in the first half of 2026. Behind it come hospitality and restaurants (14.2%), tourism (13.5%) and retail (11.5%). Tourism and retail gain presence among the most in-demand sectors, according to the data in the half-yearly report, based on 308 surveys carried out by the IMFE with organisations in the city's entrepreneurial ecosystem.

The most marked change compared with the previous half-year is in the employment situation of those who start a business. Those who carry out their activity as self-employed or entrepreneurs go from 54.7% to 36.8%. At the same time, the group of people who start a business while employed by others grows: from 22% in the last half of 2025 to 34.9% now. The predominant profile during the first quarter of 2026 is that of a woman aged between 45 and 55, with a university education, who works as self-employed and who takes the plunge mainly because of spotting business opportunities and seeking better income. Among those who start a business, 41.5% have a university education and 33% vocational training.

Financial support is the aspect that respondents consider most necessary to create a company, ahead of communication and technical skills and of training in management, marketing and sales. Seeking financing is also the stage of the entrepreneurial process that stands out most. Among the main barriers to starting a business, the report points first to the difficulty of accessing financing, followed by the tax burden and labour costs, and thirdly by excessive bureaucracy and administrative procedures. Advice or mentoring is once again the most used resource, and business incubators and accelerators are the most in-demand routes to access it. As for growth potential, respondents once again place new technologies at the top (19.6%), alongside tourism (14.6%) and retail (11.5%). The deputy councillor for Education and Employment Promotion, María Paz Flores, presented the results of the report this Monday, October 19.