enterprise surveys

What enterprise surveys does

Enterprise Surveys is a World Bank Group data initiative, operated by the Enterprise Analysis Unit within the Development Economics Vice Presidency (DEC), that produces nationally representative firm-level surveys of the business environment across more than 160 economies. Its core product portfolio comprises the Formal Sector World Bank Enterprise Surveys (WBES), Informal Sector Enterprise Surveys, Micro Enterprise Surveys (covering 1–4 worker firms), and a set of supplementary surveys including COVID-19 impact surveys (2020–2022), Topic Surveys on themes such as innovation and tourism, and a recently launched AI-Focused Follow-up Survey program spanning India, Jordan, Kenya, Malaysia, Mexico, Nigeria, Thailand, and the United States. The underlying methodology is built on standardized questionnaires administered to top managers and business owners, using geographically-based sampling strategies for informal and micro segments and a rigorous sampling design intended to ensure national representativeness; data is published both as economy- and topic-level indicators on the public website (enterprisesurveys.org) and as firm-level microdata via a secure login portal (login.enterprisesurveys.org), with the program historically expanding from 160 toward 180 economies.

The platform also produces panel datasets enabling cross-year comparisons and supports longitudinal analysis across dozens of countries. Distribution is handled through the World Bank's global communication infrastructure — including website, blog, email newsletters, symposia, the 20th Anniversary Forum (2026), and the David Dollar Memorial Prize program — and through the B-Ready indicator framework. Operational funding is non-commercial: the program is financed through the World Bank's regular budget and donor co-financing (notably the Knowledge of Change Program IV with SIDA, AFD, the Government of Japan, and the European Union). There is no revenue model in the conventional sense; all data and analytical reports are publicly available at no cost, subject to attribution requirements. The customer/user base is segmented into Researchers and Academics, Policymakers and Governments, and Development Organizations, with no paying customers or subscription tiers.

Name

enterprise surveys

Legal name

World Bank Group

Website

https://enterprisesurveys.org

Company type

Public

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Enterprise Surveys, a World Bank Group initiative, provides free, nationally representative firm-level survey data on business environments across 160+ economies for academic researchers, policymakers, and development organizations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Economic & Business Environment Research Data

NAICS

Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (541910), Web Search Portals and All Other Information Services (519290)

akta.pro primary industry

Quantitative Research & Survey Analytics (Survey Design, Sampling, Statistical Modeling) (MPAAALAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Survey, Panel & Fieldwork Services (BPAHALAJ), Syndicated Market Research (Panels, Omnibus, Tracker Studies) (MPAAALAB)

Keywords

• Firm-level survey data
• Business environment indicators
• Economic development research
• Private sector data
• Cross-country comparisons

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Public Data Services: Enterprise Surveys is a World Bank initiative that provides free publicly available data on business environments across economies. The program is funded through World Bank development funding and donor contributions rather than commercial revenue generation.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Enterprise Surveys is a World Bank Group initiative that collects and disseminates nationally representative firm-level survey data on business environments across 160+ economies. It surveys top managers and business owners on topics including access to finance, corruption, infrastructure, and firm performance, and makes the resulting data publicly available through indicators and a secure microdata portal for cross-country and longitudinal research.

Product overview

Enterprise Surveys is a World Bank Group initiative offering three main survey products: Formal Sector Enterprise Surveys (WBES), Informal Sector Enterprise Surveys, and Micro Enterprise Surveys. The platform also includes specialized surveys including COVID-19 impact surveys, Topic Surveys, and AI-Focused Follow-up Surveys. Data is accessible through an indicators database and a secure Data Portal with microdata access. The portfolio includes panel datasets for longitudinal analysis across multiple economies. Additionally, the David Dollar Memorial Prize recognizes outstanding research using Enterprise Survey data.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Formal Sector Enterprise Surveys (WBES): Nationally representative firm-level surveys with top managers and owners of businesses covering business environment topics such as access to finance, corruption, infrastructure, and performance
• Informal Sector Enterprise Surveys
• Micro Enterprise Surveys
• COVID-19 Enterprise Surveys
• David Dollar Memorial Prize

Products and services

• Formal Sector Enterprise Surveys (WBES) Nationally representative firm-level surveys conducted with top managers and business owners across 160+ economies, covering business environment topics such as access to finance, corruption, infrastructure, and firm performance. Publicly available at economy and firm level for researchers, policymakers, and development organizations.
• Informal Sector Enterprise Surveys

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Gallup World Poll: Gallup World Poll conducts nationally representative surveys across more than 160 countries, producing globally comparable indicators on well-being, governance, and economic conditions. It is the closest commercial analogue to Enterprise Surveys' methodology, scale, and cross-country comparability, although Gallup focuses more on household/individual respondents.
• OECD Statistics and Data Directorate: OECD produces standardized business environment and structural statistics across member and partner economies using harmonized methodologies. Comparable to Enterprise Surveys in producing internationally comparable economic indicators used by policymakers, though focused on higher-income economies and on official statistics rather than firm-level surveys.
• Eurostat: Eurostat conducts harmonized business and enterprise surveys across European Union member states, producing comparable firm-level and structural business statistics. It mirrors Enterprise Surveys' standardized methodology and cross-country comparability, but is geographically limited to Europe.
• IMF Statistics Department: IMF compiles standardized economic and financial statistics across its 190 member countries, with a similar global cross-country mandate to Enterprise Surveys. Comparable as a multilateral institution producing globally comparable economic indicators used by policymakers and researchers.
• World Bank Doing Business (historical): Doing Business was a flagship World Bank program providing standardized business environment indicators across nearly 200 economies until its discontinuation in 2021. Closest historical sibling to Enterprise Surveys as a World Bank data product on business environment topics, with similar geographic coverage and global comparability focus.
• UNIDO (United Nations Industrial Development Organization): UNIDO produces competitive industrial performance indicators and firm-level data across developing economies, with a UN-mandated focus on industrial development. Comparable as a UN-system agency producing globally comparable business and industrial statistics, but with a narrower industrial-development focus.
• Pew Research Center: Pew Research Center conducts rigorous, methodologically standardized global surveys on economic, political, and social topics across dozens of countries. Comparable in producing globally comparable survey-based indicators used by academic and policy communities, though focused on attitudinal/social topics rather than firm-level business environment.

Broad incumbents

• S&P Global Market Intelligence (PMI): S&P Global operates the Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) surveys and broader business intelligence products covering global economies. Comparable as a globally comparable firm-level business survey series, but operates commercially with paid access and serves primarily corporate subscribers rather than public researchers.
• Moody's / Bureau van Dijk (Orbis): Moody's Orbis database contains detailed financial and structural information on hundreds of millions of private firms globally. Comparable as a comprehensive cross-country firm-level data resource, though commercially licensed, less standardized in methodology, and focused on financial rather than business-environment indicators.

Emerging players

• Crunchbase: Crunchbase provides firm-level data on private and public companies globally with a focus on funding, leadership, and growth signals. Comparable as a cross-country firm-level data product serving researchers and investors, but with limited developing-economy coverage and less rigorous sampling methodology than Enterprise Surveys.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/worldbank
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/worldbank
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/enterprise-surveys-limited

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about enterprise surveys