Small Medium and Large Companies Guide
Note: Written with the help of my research team 🙂 including: (Google Gemini, Google Notebook LM, Microsoft Copilot, Perplexity.ai, Claude.ai and others as needed)
The concept of company size is a fundamental way to classify businesses, typically based on criteria such as the number of employees and annual revenue. However, these thresholds vary significantly from country to country, reflecting differences in economic scale, industry structures, regulatory frameworks, and labor markets.
For example, what qualifies as a small business in one country could be classified as medium or even large in another, depending on local standards. This variation highlights the importance of accounting for regional and national contexts when comparing company sizes globally.
The following chart presents a comparative view of small, medium, and large company thresholds across different countries, illustrating how employee numbers and revenue benchmarks differ worldwide, and emphasizing that company size is a relative concept shaped by diverse economic environments.
Please note that: Enterprises that are larger than typical large companies are often referred to as multinational corporations (MNCs) or global enterprises. These organizations operate on a scale beyond national borders, maintaining subsidiaries, production facilities, or offices in multiple countries. Unlike large companies that may operate primarily within one country or region, enterprises at this level have a global presence and integrate operations, assets, and strategies across diverse markets worldwide. Multinational enterprises coordinate activities across borders to leverage economies of scale, access new customer bases, and optimize supply chains. They usually have centralized headquarters but also allow subsidiaries some autonomy to adapt to local markets. These global enterprises are distinct from large companies by their extensive geographic reach, complex organizational structures, and substantial influence on international trade and economic systems. In summary, “enterprise” in this context marks a level above large companies, emphasizing global scale and multinational integration.
| Region / Country | Small Company | Medium Company | Large Company |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | ≤100 employees ≤$10M revenue | 100-499 employees $10M-$1B revenue | 500+ employees >$1B revenue |
| European Union | <50 employees ≤€10M revenue | 50-249 employees €10M-€50M revenue | 250+ employees >€50M revenue |
| United Kingdom | <50 employees ≤£15M revenue | 50-249 employees £15M-£54M revenue | 250+ employees >£54M revenue |
| Canada | ≤100 employees ≤$5M CAD revenue | 100-499 employees $5M-$50M CAD revenue | 500+ employees >$50M CAD revenue |
| Australia | <20–50 employees ≤$10M AUD revenue | 50-199 employees $10M-$100M AUD revenue | 200+ employees >$100M AUD revenue |
| China | Varies; ~<300 employees ~≤$3.5M revenue | 300-1000 employees $3.5M-$35M revenue | 1000+ employees >$35M revenue |
| South Africa | ≤50 employees ~≤$70K revenue | 51-200 employees $70K-$4.4M revenue | 200+ employees >$4.4M revenue |
| Mexico | 11-50 employees (small) (varies revenue) | 51-250 employees (medium) (varies revenue) | 251+ employees |
| India | ≤50 employees varies revenue | 50-250 employees varies revenue | 251+ employees |
| Japan | Varies by industry | Varies by industry | Varies by industry |
| Germany | <50 employees varies revenue | 50-249 employees varies revenue | ≥250 employees |
| Brazil | Varies widely | Varies widely | Varies widely |