Montenegro is home to over 30,000 companies that operate with just a single employee, meaning that one in every three registered businesses has only one worker. According to the Tax Administration, 16 companies reported revenues exceeding one million euros in 2024. Most of these businesses are established as limited liability companies, primarily engaged in trade, catering, construction, and business consulting. Conversely, only 11 companies in Montenegro employ over a thousand staff.

Statistics from the Tax Administration indicate a year-on-year increase in economic entities in Montenegro, with a total registration of 86,161, marking an increase of 5,061 since the same time last year. As the number of registered entities rises, so does the count of those with just one employee.

“Out of the total business entities, 30,233 have only one employee (as of June 24, 2025), which is an increase of 6,708 from the previous year,” reported the banker portal from the Tax Administration.

Montenegrin legislation does not prohibit, and in fact, permits businesses to operate without employees. Many of these are companies where the director serves as the sole employee. Additionally, Labor Law allows companies to hire workers through mediation agencies.

The predominant activities of economic entities include non-specialized wholesale trade, residential and commercial building construction, restaurant services, and business consulting activities, as highlighted by the tax authority.

Predominance of Limited Liability Companies (doo)

Most commercial activities are conducted through limited liability companies (doo), followed by public institutions, foreign entities, and NGOs. However, the number of employees does not inherently correlate with business success.

“Among the total business entities with one employee, there are 16 companies that have achieved success with revenues over one million euros,” noted the Tax Administration.

According to their data, there are 15,740 economic entities employing between two to ten workers. This indicates that more than half of the registered entities have fewer than ten employees.

“There are 2,297 business entities in Montenegro with 11 to 50 employees, and 315 companies that employ between 51 to 100 workers,” as stated by the Tax Administration.

These statistics underscore the significant role that micro or small firms play in the Montenegrin economy, particularly within the trade, construction, catering, and service sectors.

“The number of business entities in Montenegro with 101 to 1,000 employees is 296, and there are 11 businesses that employ over 1,000 workers,” the tax authority reports.