• 15% of today's startups are run by someone who is 55 or older, up from 11% in 1990.

• 1 in 3 startups are now run by an entrepreneur who is over 45 years old.

• New entrepreneurs are more educated; almost 25% of today's new entrepreneurs have a university degree, double the rate seen in 1990.

• Natural and applied science-related fields are the fastest growing business segments.

• Almost half (48%) of those who started a business in the past two years are the main breadwinners, while close to 8% opened their business as a secondary source of income.

• The average age of those who start a business is gradually increasing (currently, more than 33% of startups are over the age of 45, compared to 20% among regular employees).

• The increase in startup businesses despite a strong labour market indicates that a significant number of new entrepreneurs chose self-employment as a career rather than being forced to open a business due to a lack of employment opportunities.

Sources:
Statistics Canada
CIBC/Decima Small Business Poll
CIBC World Markets