A study by Serasa Experian shows that 41% of SMEs require working capital; more than half have some type of financial restriction
Almost all Brazilian small and medium-sized companies (SMEs) have limited ability to access credit. Survey released this Tuesday (June 17, 2026) by shows that 95.7% of companies in the segment have an estimated credit limit of up to R$570 thousand.
The study was carried out based on information from 1.9 million active companies classified as micro, small or medium-sized companies. According to the company, the credit market for this audience is broad and fragmented, but strongly linked to the operational needs of the business.
The data indicates that 41% of SMEs have a profile associated with the demand for working capital, while 28% have a credit taking profile for legal entities. The predominance, according to Serasa Experian, is operations aimed at maintaining the companies’ cash flow and activity.
The survey also shows that 81.5% of SMEs have up to 9 employees. Furthermore, almost 79% have been operating for more than 5 years and around 72% have estimated revenues of up to R$1.35 million per year.
Among the sectors of activity, commerce accounts for the largest portion of the companies analyzed. Around 39.7% work in the areas of vehicle sales and repair.
From a credit risk perspective, the scenario is heterogeneous. According to the research, 48.3% of SMEs are in the lowest ranges of the PJ Score, with scores of up to 300 points. On the other hand, 21.4% obtained grades between 701 and 1,000 points, considered the highest.
More than half of companies have some type of active financial restriction. Still, among companies with a known track record of punctuality, 72.5% are in the highest range of meeting financial obligations.
For the director of credit services at Serasa Experian, Viviane Moura, the scenario of high interest rates and greater rigor in granting loans requires more sophisticated models to differentiate the risk profiles of companies and expand the offer of credit in a way that is more appropriate to the characteristics of each business.
