The Baltic states have gained the largest percentage of private equity and venture capital out of the European Union and the UK, according to a recent report.
S&P Global Market Intelligence says Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia had the highest percentages in their respective private business sectors, with Latvia at 3.54%, Lithuania at 2.24%, and Estonia at 1.34%. Spain is the next European country on the list with a percentage penetration rate of 1.25%.
Which country is at the bottom of the list? Italy, at 0.21%.
S&P adds that the EU-27 combined has a private equity penetration rate of 0.49%, while the UK has a penetration rate of 0.35%.
France has the most private equity-invested companies in the EU at 11,633 but has a penetration rate of just 0.77%.
The data also shows that the Baltic states have mainly smaller venture funding rounds, with the median deal size from January 2020 to July 21, 2023, at $1.3 million.
Technology, media and telecommunications is the most invested-in sector across the EU in 2023. In the first half, 42% of all private equity investments were in this sector.
S&P states that this data indicates that conditions exist in the Baltics to support business creation or entrepreneurship and innovation.