Experian Main Street Report

Q1 report findings

U.S. small businesses entered Q1 2026 navigating a more complex and constrained operating environment shaped by slowing economic growth, rising energy costs, and tightening credit conditions. The Experian Small Business Index™ remained largely unchanged in March, increasing by 0.4 points to 49.2. This reflects a year over year increase of 2 points and remains within its historical range, signaling underlying stability.

About the report

Experian Main Street Report brings deep insight into the overall financial well-being of the small-business landscape, as well as provides commentary on what specific trends mean for credit grantors and the small-business community. Critical factors in the Main Street Report include a combination of business credit data (credit balances, delinquency rates, utilization rates, etc.) and macroeconomic information (employment rates, income, retail sales, industrial production, etc.).