Entrepreneurs worldwide have given their views on the current business climate as well as their expectations for the coming 12 months, concluding that the economy will either improve or at least stay the same, according to a survey conducted by Standard Chartered Private Bank and the Entrepreneurs Organization.

The two institutions have launched the Global Entrepreneur Indicator, a study designed to gather insights into areas such as job data, profits, exposure to debt, investments and growth industries, allowing an assessment of the state of the entrepreneurial community and an identification of benchmarks and expected trends.

Over the next year, according to 96 per cent of entrepreneurs surveyed, the number of people employed in entrepreneurial organisations will either increase or remain the same, with 76 per cent predicting an overall increase in employment.

For the more immediate future, a large majority - 80 per cent - believe that the economic environment will either remain stagnant or hot up over the coming quarter, with over a third expecting an improvement.

SCPB and EO believe that “more than any other population, industry or common benchmark, the world’s leading entrepreneurs can help explain and predict the state of the global economy,” according to a statement.

The Entrepreneurs Organisation has a membership base of more than 7,500 business owners across 38 countries.