Women working in the finance and accounting sectors are showing strong interest in starting their own businesses, according to preliminary results of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) 2026 Global Talent Trends Study.
Preliminary data shows that 48% of women in the profession now say they want to become entrepreneurs. This is a 45% increase on last year’s survey.
The figures are derived from ACCA’s global survey of more than 11,000 financial professionals from 175 markets.
The full Global Talent Trends 2026 report is expected to be published in May 2026.
Early observations suggest that more women are looking to their technical training in finance and accounting as a platform for business ownership.
Men still report higher levels of entrepreneurial intention overall, but the reported gap is smaller.
Young women seem to be at the forefront of this change.
Among female respondents from Generation Z and millennials, about half said they hope to become entrepreneurs in the future.
This pattern has been interpreted as reflecting the generation’s appetite for greater autonomy, influence and financial self-sufficiency in career choices.
ACCA chief executive Helen Brandt said: “The number of women aspiring to become business owners is an encouraging sign that finance and accounting skills are equipping women not only to lead organizations but to build their own companies.”
According to the World Talent 2026 report, most respondents see an accounting background as a strong stepping stone to entrepreneurship.
More than half of all professionals surveyed expressed that their financial skills are valuable for starting and running a business.
The survey also points to particularly strong entrepreneurial aspirations in developing economies, where starting a business is often seen as a pathway to better livelihoods and broader social outcomes.
“Women Entrepreneurship on the Rise, ACCA Survey” was originally developed and published by Accountant, owned by GlobalData.
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