Economic Progress

How much do entrepreneurs in different countries fear failure?

Alex Heber
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Economic Progress

Fail fast, fail cheap and learn from your experiences is a catchcry repeated daily across the startup world. Don’t be scared to fail, celebrate it, you hear mentors preach.

Being willing to take risks is part of the entrepreneurial spirit. According to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor report, the fear of failure fluctuates depending on where you are in the world.

The chart below shows the percentage of individuals aged 18-64 who report that fear of failure would prevent them from setting up a business. The lower the percentage, the lower the fear.

“Fear of failure can be a strong inhibitor for seizing opportunities and transforming entrepreneurial intentions into entrepreneurial activity,” the report says.

The highest fear of failure was expressed by respondents in EU economies (40.7%), followed by respondents in Asia and Oceania region (37.5%).

In the EU the highest fear of failure rates were recorded in Greece (61.6%), Poland (51.1%), Belgium (49.4%) and Italy (49.1%).

In the group of Asian and Oceania economies, the highest fear of failure was expressed by respondents in Japan (54.5%) and Vietnam (50.1%). Australia recorded a fear factor of 39.21%, much higher than the US which came in at 29.66%.

Here’s the chart:

fear-of-failure-around-the-world

Global Entrepreneurship Monitor

This article is published in collaboration with Business Insider. Publication does not imply endorsement of views by the World Economic Forum.

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Author: Alex Heber is Business Insider’s tech and resources editor.

Image: A businessman walks through the Tokyo International Forum in a banking district in central Tokyo. REUTERS/Thomas Peter.

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Economic ProgressEntrepreneurshipFuture of Work
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