The number of businesses dropped 1% to 1,838,720. The number of incorporated businesses was practically flat at 526,341, but the number of sole proprietors fell a little more than 3% to 567,158.

The data show that the monthly number of autonomous businesses that were wound up jumped to 39,800 in August, ahead of changes to rules intended to put an end to abuse of the Itemised Tax for Small Businesses (Kata).