Size and presence
Measured networks hold 3.22% of active establishments in 20 markets with their own CNAE subclass, compared with 3.02% in May 2023
Of the 1,279,886 active establishments that never opted for MEI, in 20 markets, those that carry the brand of a measured network, in October 2026. In May 2023, the share was 3.02%
See the full table (20 rows)
| Market | CNAE subclass | Active CNPJs | Current MEIs | Formerly MEI | Never MEI | With a network brand | Share, never MEI | Share, with trade name | Share, all active | Networks | One network above 50% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sweets, candies and chocolates | 4721-1/04 | 35,739 | 12,701 | 3,090 | 19,948 | 3,493 | 17.51% | 26.73% | 9.93% | 7 | Yes |
| Laundries | 9601-7/01 | 28,273 | 11,064 | 2,826 | 14,383 | 2,356 | 16.38% | 22.86% | 9.46% | 18 | No |
| Language instruction | 8593-7/00 | 36,616 | 21,482 | 3,089 | 12,045 | 1,671 | 13.87% | 22.39% | 4.76% | 17 | No |
| Compounding pharmacies | 4771-7/02 | 8,265 | 0 | 56 | 8,209 | 634 | 7.72% | 11.15% | 7.72% | 8 | No |
| Optical stores | 4774-1/00 | 76,653 | 21,120 | 8,370 | 47,163 | 3,150 | 6.68% | 9.41% | 4.17% | 17 | No |
| Cosmetics and perfumery | 4772-5/00 | 244,067 | 162,098 | 27,233 | 54,736 | 3,471 | 6.34% | 9.18% | 1.46% | 15 | Yes |
| Snack bars, tea houses and juice bars | 5611-2/03 | 475,233 | 277,177 | 60,769 | 137,287 | 8,437 | 6.15% | 9.02% | 1.81% | 108 | No |
| Footwear | 4782-2/01 | 84,104 | 31,681 | 11,811 | 40,612 | 2,242 | 5.52% | 8.55% | 2.70% | 29 | No |
| Aesthetic services | 9602-5/02 | 377,223 | 300,264 | 37,366 | 39,593 | 1,445 | 3.65% | 5.23% | 0.39% | 25 | No |
| Mattresses | 4754-7/02 | 24,922 | 8,248 | 3,099 | 13,575 | 485 | 3.57% | 5.33% | 1.97% | 5 | No |
| Dentistry | 8630-5/04 | 131,897 | fewer than 5 | not published | 129,215 | 3,792 | 2.93% | 4.16% | 2.89% | 19 | No |
| Gyms and fitness | 9313-1/00 | 84,362 | 5 | 11,464 | 72,893 | 1,850 | 2.54% | 3.29% | 2.23% | 19 | No |
| Cleaning of buildings and homes | 8121-4/00 | 16,046 | fewer than 5 | not published | 14,414 | 356 | 2.47% | 3.57% | 2.28% | 8 | No |
| Restaurants and similar establishments | 5611-2/01 | 400,895 | 181,174 | 59,576 | 160,145 | 2,538 | 1.58% | 2.18% | 0.65% | 55 | No |
| Bakeries and confectioneries | 4721-1/02 and 1091-1/02 | 295,290 | 202,770 | 30,019 | 62,501 | 875 | 1.40% | 1.92% | 0.30% | 9 | No |
| Clothing and accessories | 4781-4/00 | 1,014,303 | 646,058 | 131,598 | 236,647 | 2,684 | 1.13% | 1.62% | 0.27% | 47 | No |
| Travel agencies | 7911-2/00 | 97,354 | 53,353 | 12,049 | 31,952 | 328 | 1.03% | 1.44% | 0.36% | 5 | Yes |
| Jewelry and costume jewelry | 4783-1/01 and 4789-0/01 | 144,224 | 85,408 | 16,284 | 42,532 | 412 | 0.97% | 1.41% | 0.29% | 6 | Yes |
| Pharmacies without compounding | 4771-7/01 | 111,699 | 0 | 2,692 | 109,007 | 820 | 0.75% | 0.97% | 0.74% | 12 | No |
| Hairdressers, manicure and pedicure | 9602-5/01 | 942,603 | 818,722 | 90,852 | 33,029 | 192 | 0.58% | 0.81% | 0.02% | 6 | No |
Networks gain or lose share, from May 2023 to October 2026Share among active CNPJs that never opted for MEI. The change is in percentage points. The closed cohort considers only networks with 5 or more CNPJs in May 2023.
| Market | May 2023 | October 2025 | October 2026 | Change, points | Change, closed cohort | Share with trade name, start and end | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All markets | 3.02% | 3.27% | 3.22% | +0.20 | +0.13 | 4.32% to 4.53% | inconclusive |
| Laundries | 8.70% | 15.83% | 16.38% | +7.68 | +5.40 | 13.08% to 22.86% | gains share |
| Sweets, candies and chocolates | 14.33% | 17.33% | 17.51% | +3.18 | +3.18 | 22.29% to 26.73% | gains share |
| Compounding pharmacies | 6.15% | 7.88% | 7.72% | +1.57 | +1.57 | 8.78% to 11.15% | gains share |
| Snack bars, tea houses and juice bars | 5.25% | 6.00% | 6.15% | +0.89 | +0.82 | 8.09% to 9.02% | gains share |
| Gyms and fitness | 1.71% | 2.39% | 2.54% | +0.82 | +0.66 | 2.12% to 3.29% | gains share |
| Footwear | 4.87% | 5.48% | 5.52% | +0.65 | +0.65 | 7.55% to 8.55% | gains share |
| Optical stores | 6.12% | 6.49% | 6.68% | +0.56 | +0.44 | 8.86% to 9.41% | gains share |
| Bakeries and confectioneries | 0.93% | 1.26% | 1.40% | +0.47 | +0.47 | 1.33% to 1.92% | gains share |
| Cleaning of buildings and homes | 2.02% | 2.26% | 2.47% | +0.45 | -0.27 | 2.88% to 3.57% | inconclusive |
| Pharmacies without compounding | 0.57% | 0.69% | 0.75% | +0.18 | +0.14 | 0.73% to 0.97% | gains share |
| Jewelry and costume jewelry | 0.82% | 0.91% | 0.97% | +0.15 | +0.15 | 1.22% to 1.41% | gains share |
| Clothing and accessories | 1.01% | 1.13% | 1.13% | +0.13 | +0.13 | 1.49% to 1.62% | gains share |
| Cosmetics and perfumery | 6.25% | 6.50% | 6.34% | +0.09 | +0.09 | 9.17% to 9.18% | stable |
| Restaurants and similar establishments | 1.59% | 1.60% | 1.58% | -0.01 | -0.01 | 2.22% to 2.18% | stable |
| Hairdressers, manicure and pedicure | 0.66% | 0.68% | 0.58% | -0.08 | -0.08 | 0.95% to 0.81% | loses share |
| Travel agencies | 1.18% | 1.09% | 1.03% | -0.16 | -0.25 | 1.69% to 1.44% | loses share |
| Mattresses | 3.76% | 3.71% | 3.57% | -0.19 | -0.19 | 5.59% to 5.33% | inconclusive |
| Aesthetic services | 4.79% | 4.25% | 3.65% | -1.14 | -1.22 | 6.80% to 5.23% | loses share |
| Language instruction | 15.93% | 14.72% | 13.87% | -2.05 | -2.05 | 25.79% to 22.39% | loses share |
| Dentistry | 5.49% | 3.81% | 2.93% | -2.55 | -2.55 | 7.40% to 4.16% | loses share |
By municipality size, all marketsInhabitants according to the estimate of IBGE (the national statistics institute). Share among active never-MEI CNPJs, in October 2026 and in May 2023.
| Size | Never MEI | Current MEIs | With a network brand | Share, October 2026 | Share, May 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 20,000 inhabitants | 107,661 | 288,702 | 1,380 | 1.28% | 1.19% |
| 20,000 to 50,000 | 143,209 | 325,847 | 3,616 | 2.52% | 2.34% |
| 50,000 to 100,000 | 125,058 | 277,811 | 3,976 | 3.18% | 2.81% |
| 100,000 to 500,000 | 359,232 | 879,649 | 13,013 | 3.62% | 3.27% |
| Above 500,000 | 544,394 | 1,061,045 | 19,246 | 3.54% | 3.46% |
By state, all marketsThe share also reflects the composition of markets in each state.
| State | Never MEI | Current MEIs | With a network brand | Share, October 2026 | Share, May 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AC | 3,628 | 6,374 | 129 | 3.56% | 3.00% |
| AL | 12,059 | 29,083 | 467 | 3.87% | 3.59% |
| AM | 15,434 | 29,608 | 478 | 3.10% | 3.09% |
| AP | 3,879 | 5,861 | 123 | 3.17% | 2.57% |
| BA | 64,318 | 138,943 | 2,074 | 3.22% | 2.88% |
| CE | 37,107 | 88,447 | 904 | 2.44% | 2.36% |
| DF | 29,384 | 42,861 | 1,431 | 4.87% | 4.82% |
| ES | 26,578 | 72,353 | 813 | 3.06% | 2.63% |
| GO | 44,453 | 114,216 | 2,049 | 4.61% | 4.49% |
| MA | 23,958 | 35,057 | 872 | 3.64% | 3.53% |
| MG | 127,410 | 325,082 | 3,556 | 2.79% | 2.63% |
| MS | 16,087 | 41,734 | 661 | 4.11% | 4.09% |
| MT | 23,343 | 54,858 | 1,145 | 4.91% | 4.60% |
| PA | 25,817 | 54,458 | 1,157 | 4.48% | 3.96% |
| PB | 15,253 | 38,349 | 651 | 4.27% | 4.47% |
| PE | 37,441 | 82,596 | 1,224 | 3.27% | 2.89% |
| PI | 14,667 | 24,705 | 489 | 3.33% | 3.10% |
| PR | 97,033 | 179,628 | 2,538 | 2.62% | 2.47% |
| RJ | 103,891 | 280,585 | 4,198 | 4.04% | 3.97% |
| RN | 15,921 | 37,322 | 477 | 3.00% | 2.68% |
| RO | 8,599 | 20,069 | 376 | 4.37% | 3.94% |
| RR | 2,780 | 6,648 | 122 | 4.39% | 3.92% |
| RS | 83,023 | 168,491 | 1,795 | 2.16% | 1.89% |
| SC | 66,028 | 132,477 | 2,395 | 3.63% | 3.37% |
| SE | 9,200 | 20,804 | 287 | 3.12% | 2.89% |
| SP | 365,171 | 783,737 | 10,437 | 2.86% | 2.69% |
| TO | 7,195 | 18,985 | 383 | 5.32% | 4.43% |
Categories outside the scope91 of the observatory's 115 categories, with the reason for exclusion.
| Reason | Categories | Which |
|---|---|---|
| No measured network in the category | 11 | barbershop, business consulting, events and catering, flowers and gardening, printing and visual communication, upholstery cleaning, study abroad, leisure and entertainment, renovation and maintenance, IV therapy, and training and public speaking |
| Fewer than 5 measured networks in the category | 39 | clothing alterations and shoe repair, sporting goods and activewear, home goods, extracurricular activities, bars and draft beer, bicycles and electric mobility, bags and luggage, toys, construction, accounting, elderly care, weight loss, solar energy, nail salon, condominium management, hospitality, internet and telecommunications, laboratory and diagnostics, car wash, car rental, digital marketing, building materials, furniture, auto repair and tires, stationery and gifts, pet shop, pilates, swimming pools, cleaning products and disposables, robotics and coding, occupational safety, electronic security and tracking, legal and documentation services, business services, spa, massage and podiatry, technology and software, vehicle sales, veterinary care and wine |
| Specific subclass, but with fewer than 5 measured networks with 5 or more CNPJs in it | 8 | thrift store, cell phones and repair, sports school, real estate, equipment rental, convenience store, insurance and paints |
| The most frequent subclass is broad and does not isolate the business | 25 | açaí, coffee shop, barbecue and meats, Italian food, Japanese food, Mexican food, healthy food, Middle Eastern food, crepes and tapioca, sweet shop, specialty grocery, fried chicken, burger restaurant, hot dogs, unattended micro market, milkshakes, fried pastries, pizzeria, tutoring, savory snacks, snacks, ice cream shop, juices and mate, supplements and vehicle inspection |
| Most branded CNPJs in the subclass come from networks in another business | 1 | physiotherapy |
| Less than 70% of the category's network CNPJs in the typical subclass | 1 | bakery |
| Network CNPJs spread across several subclasses | 4 | credit and purchasing consortia, vocational courses, laser hair removal, and logistics and transportation |
| The typical subclass groups another type of establishment | 2 | medical clinics and vaccines, and school |
A network's number of units does not show the share it holds in its own market, because franchise registries offer no denominator. The indicator uses as its denominator all active establishments in Brazil in the typical primary CNAE (national classification of economic activities) subclass of each category, in 20 markets in which the subclass represents the business, and counts those that carry in their trade name the brand of one of the 503 measured networks, in the reference month of October 2026.
These subclasses add up to 4,629,768 active CNPJs (Brazilian company registry), of which 2,833,331 (61.2%) are current MEIs (individual microentrepreneur regime) and 516,551 (11.2%) have a CNPJ root that once opted for MEI and left the regime. The two groups are presented separately because the trade name is rare in them, and only 143 MEIs have the field filled in. Among the remaining 1,279,886 establishments, 41,231 carry the brand of a measured network, which corresponds to 3.22%. The share is 4.53% among those with a trade name, 2.35% when those that left MEI are included and 0.91% over all active CNPJs, with current MEIs included.
The difference between markets is wide. The share reaches 17.51% in sweets and chocolates, a market in which a single network accounts for more than half of the figure, and 16.38% in laundries, while it stands at 0.58% among hairdressers and manicurists. From May 2023 to October 2026, the set went from 3.02% to 3.22%, and the result is not uniform. Networks gain share in sweets and chocolates, laundries, compounding pharmacies, optical stores, snack bars, footwear, gyms, bakeries, clothing, jewelry and costume jewelry, and pharmacies without compounding, and lose share in language instruction, aesthetic services, dentistry, travel agencies, and hairdressers and manicurists, and the other 4 markets are stable or inconclusive. The rise is concentrated up to October 2025, when the set reaches 3.27%, and in the following twelve months the share declines in 9 of the 20 markets.
The largest gain occurs in laundries, from 8.70% to 16.38%, and the cohort of networks with 5 or more CNPJs in May 2023 reaches 14.04%, so the remainder comes from networks that were smaller at that date or appeared later. The largest loss occurs in dentistry, from 5.49% to 2.93%, with branded CNPJs going from 4,689 to 3,792 while the subclass total rises from 85,449 to 129,215. By municipality size, the share is 1.28% up to 20,000 inhabitants and 3.54% above 500,000.
How we calculate
For each market, the denominator is the set of CNPJs with active status whose primary subclass is the one shown in the table, read from the full establishments file of Receita Federal (the federal tax authority), with any trade name or none. The numerator is the subset with the brand of a measured network, by the observatory census's attribution by trade name, in which each CNPJ counts once even if it matches two networks. Measured networks are those with 30 or more attributed CNPJs. The main share considers only CNPJs whose root never appears as having opted for MEI in the Simples Nacional (simplified tax regime for small companies) file, in both the numerator and the denominator, a restriction that makes the reference months comparable.
A market is included when the official description of the subclass matches the business and it meets three numerical criteria, namely 5 or more measured networks with 5 or more CNPJs in the subclass, 50% or more of the branded CNPJs coming from networks in the market's categories and, for the figure to appear on a category's page, 70% or more of the active CNPJs of that category's networks in the subclass. Of the observatory's 115 categories, 24 meet the criteria, and the remaining 91 appear in the table of categories outside the scope, with the reason.
The series compares the snapshots of May 2023, October 2025 and October 2026. The numerator for each date comes from applying the same expressions to the snapshots of the time, with the CNAE of the time. The denominator is calculated in two ways. The first reconstructs the stock from the current file using the start-of-activity and registration status dates, and reproduces the total of active CNPJs in the snapshots with a maximum difference of 0.7%. The second counts the CNPJs with a trade name in the snapshot itself. We consider that networks gain or lose share when both measures change by 5% or more in the same direction, in relative terms, and the closed cohort of networks already present in May 2023, with 5 or more CNPJs, follows that direction. A change below 5% in both measures is treated as stability, and the other cases as inconclusive.
What this figure does not show
- The calculation underestimates the presence of networks, because it is based on the trade name. A unit with another name or with the field empty is not recognized, the 1,065 branded CNPJs that were once MEIs are left out of the main share, and networks below 30 CNPJs are not counted. With all census networks, including the smaller ones, the share for the set rises to 3.80%, in a list subject to more namesakes.
- A network may have units outside the subclass, because the primary CNAE is declared by each company. In the published categories, 71% to 100% of the networks' active CNPJs are in the typical subclass. The denominator also groups different businesses within the same subclass, and establishments that have the business as a secondary activity are not included.
- A CNPJ does not equal an open store, and not every unit attributed to the brand is franchised, since the count includes company-owned stores. Namesakes may remain in the numerator, although restricted by the expected CNAE of each network.
- MEIs rarely fill in the trade name, so network presence in this group is not observable. Of the CNPJs that left MEI, 36.3% have a trade name, compared with 71.1% of those that never opted for it. For this reason, in markets with many MEIs the main share describes only the formalized part outside the regime.
- The series measures networks that exist today, which tends to favor gains in share, because networks closed before 2026 are not included in the 2023 numerator. The closed cohort column reduces this effect without eliminating it. Of the 16,579 CNPJs that entered the numerator since May 2023, 14,993 were opened in the period, and the rest already existed under another name, without a name or in another subclass, some of which may represent a name being filled in rather than joining the network.
- The reconstruction uses the current CNAE and only knows the most recent registration status of each CNPJ. The May 2023 share is an approximation, and the comparison between the breakdowns by state and by size also reflects the composition of markets in each place.
- In sweets and chocolates, cosmetics, travel agencies, and jewelry and costume jewelry, a single network accounts for more than half of the branded CNPJs, and the figure and its change depend mainly on that network. The table indicates these cases, and the set as a whole has no network above 50%.
- The typical subclass does not separate pizzerias from restaurants, and only 47% of the active CNPJs of pizzeria networks are in 5611-2/01. By trade name, among the 19,927 active never-MEI establishments with "pizz" in the name or with the brand of a pizzeria network, in three food subclasses, 2.58% carry the brand of a measured network, compared with 2.23% in May 2023. The measure is not comparable to that of the other markets, because a pizzeria without the word in its name is left out of the denominator.
- The indicator does not measure revenue or sales share, and describes registry presence without evaluating networks.
Frequently asked questions
What is the market share of franchises in Brazil?
In 20 markets with their own CNAE (national classification of economic activities) subclass, 3.22% of the 1,279,886 active establishments that never opted for MEI (individual microentrepreneur regime) carry in their trade name the brand of one of the 503 measured franchise networks, in the reference month of October 2026. The share ranges from 0.58% among hairdressers and manicurists to 17.51% in sweets and chocolates. The figure refers to CNPJs (Brazilian company registry), not sales, and underestimates the presence of networks, because a unit with another trade name is not recognized.
Are franchise networks gaining share in their own markets?
Across the set of 20 markets, the share of establishments carrying the brand of a measured franchise network went from 3.02% in May 2023 to 3.22% in October 2026. Networks gain share in sweets and chocolates, laundries, compounding pharmacies, optical stores, snack bars, footwear, gyms, bakeries, clothing, jewelry and costume jewelry, and pharmacies without compounding, and lose share in language instruction, aesthetic services, dentistry, travel agencies, and hairdressers and manicurists. By the indicator's criterion, which requires a rise of 5% or more both in the full base and in the snapshot of establishments with a trade name, the set as a whole remains inconclusive, because the share rises by 6.5% in the full base and by 4.8% in the snapshot with a trade name. The measure tracks networks that exist today, which tends to favor gains.
Why are MEIs left out of the franchise count?
Because the brand is recognized by the trade name, and the MEI (individual microentrepreneur regime) almost never fills in this field. Of the 2,833,331 active MEIs in the measured subclasses, 143 have a trade name, which makes network presence in this group unobservable. MEI totals are shown separately in the table.
What share of laundries, optical stores and language schools in Brazil are franchises?
In laundries, 16.38% of the 14,383 active establishments that never opted for MEI (individual microentrepreneur regime) carry the brand of a measured franchise network, compared with 8.70% in May 2023. In language instruction, 13.87% of the 12,045 active never-MEI establishments carry the brand of a measured network, compared with 15.93% in May 2023. In optical stores, 6.68% of the 47,163 active never-MEI establishments carry the brand of a measured network, compared with 6.12% in May 2023. Data for the reference month of October 2026, by CNPJ (Brazilian company registry) and trade name.
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Size and presenceOther indicators in the same group
Maintained by Marktech, which serves franchise networks and franchises. The brands cited belong to their owners and are mentioned here only to identify the network the data refers to.