Maputo, 30 Oct (AIM) – Mozambique’s National Statistics Institute (INE) has recorded 14,462 formally registered non-profit entities, as part of the 3rd Business Census (CEMPRE 2025-2026).
According to the census – which was conducted between September 2025 and May 2026, aiming to collect and update information on the structure of the Mozambican business sector, non-profit institutions – the country has 112,784 formally registered companies.
The study points out that these non-profit institutions employ 136,269 people and generate approximately 117.4 billion meticais in annual revenue (1.8 billion US dollars at the current exchange rate). 50.7 percent of these institutions are associations, followed by religious organizations at 45.5 percent. The southern provinces Inhambane and of Gaza, and the central province of Manica, account together 67.4 percent of the country’s non-profit institutions.
On the other hand, INE recorded the formal existence of 112.784 companies in the country, which corresponds to 80.1 percent.
“All registered entities employed 1.026 million people and had a business turnover of 2.457 trillion meticais. The Mozambican business landscape consists primarily of micro-enterprises, which account for 64.5 percent of active businesses, followed by small enterprises (30.9 percent), medium-sized enterprises (3.2 percent), and large enterprises (1.5 percent)”, reads the census.
More than half of these entities are primarily engaged in wholesale and retail trade and the repair of vehicles (54.3 percent). This sector employs 294,201 people, representing 28.6 percent of total employment within the business sector and generated an annual business turnover of 579.4 billion meticais, corresponding to 23.6 percent of the total.
“Regarding financial inclusion, 77.8 percent of entities hold a bank account, while 54.3 percent use mobile wallets. Only 53.0 percent of religious organizations have a bank account. All large and medium-sized enterprises hold bank accounts. Micro-enterprises (67.2 percent) and small businesses (45.8 percent) favor mobile wallets as their primary financial mechanism.”
CEMPRE points out that only 17.1 percent of companies are owned or managed by women. “Women have a stronger presence in micro-enterprises (18.9 percent) and small businesses (14.2 percent), whereas they account for only 9.7 percent of top management positions in large enterprises. They are most represented in the management of businesses within the accommodation and food service sector (31.9 percent), education (28.3 percent), and health and social services (18.3 percent)”, reads the study.
In comparison, the CEMPRE 2014-2015 recorded a total of 72,742 entities, consisting of 51,237 (70.4 percent) companies and 10,630 non-profit institutions.
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