The State of Small Business in Barbados
National Survey of the Small Business Sector (Barbados)
Table 2.3 indicates that the size-based pattern suggests that female ownership is most concentrated among micro enterprises, while male ownership becomes more dominant as firms increase in size. Table 2.5 compares the ownership concentration by gender between 2016 and 2025, revealing that the size distribution of female- and male-owned MSMEs is relatively unchanged between 2016 and 2025. Female-owned firms remain overwhelmingly micro-scale, while male-owned firms are consistently more likely to operate as small and medium-sized enterprises. 2.3.1 Gender in Ownership Structure by Firm Size
Table 2.3: Gender Distribution and Firm Ownership
Percent (%)
Ownership classification
Frequency
Female-only or female-dominant Equal male and female owners Male-only or male-dominant
144
40.8
24
6.8
185
52.4
Table 2.4: Gender, Ownership and Business Size
Size classification
Female-only or female-dominant
Equal male and female owners
Male-only or male dominant
Total
Micro
Count
117
11
118
246
% of firms in this size
47.60%
4.50%
48.00% 100.00%
% of this ownership group
82.40%
42.30%
63.10% 69.30%
Small
Count
24
11
61
96
% of firms in this size
25.00%
11.50%
63.50% 100.00%
Medium Count
1
4
8
13
% of firms in this size
7.70%
30.80%
61.50% 100.00%
% of this ownership group
0.70%
15.40%
4.30% 3.70%
Total
Count
142
26
187
355
% of firms in this size
40.00%
7.30%
52.70% 100.00%
% of this ownership group
100.00%
100.00% 100.00% 100.00%
Note. Counts show the number of firms in each category. “% of firms in this size” shows how ownership is distributed within each firm size (for example, among micro firms, the share that are female-, male-, or jointly owned). “% of this ownership group” shows where each ownership type is mainly concentrated across firm sizes (for example, the proportion of all female-owned firms that are micro, small, or medium).
14
Small Business Association of Barbados
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