This list of the oldest companies in the world includes brands and companies, excluding associations and
educational
Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty. Vari ...
, government, or religious organizations. To be listed, a
brand
A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's good or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create an ...
or
company
A company, abbreviated as co., is a Legal personality, legal entity representing an association of people, whether Natural person, natural, Legal person, legal or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common p ...
name must remain operating, either in whole or in part, since inception. Note however that such claims are often open to question and should be researched further before citing them.
Statistics
According to a report published by the
Bank of Korea
The Bank of Korea (BOK; ) is the central bank of the Republic of Korea and issuer of Korean Republic won. It was established on 12 June 1950 in Seoul, South Korea.
The bank's primary purpose is price stability. For that, the bank targets in ...
in 2008 that looked at 41 countries, there were 5,586 companies older than 200 years. Of these, 3,146 (56%) are in Japan, 837 (15%) in Germany, 222 (4%) in the Netherlands, and 196 (3%) in France.
Of the companies with more than 100 years of history, most of them (89%) employ fewer than 300 people.
In Japan, very old companies, called ''
shinise'', are particularly prestigious. A nationwide Japanese survey counted more than 21,000 companies older than 100 years as of September 30, 2009.
Founded before 1300
1300 to 1399
1400 to 1499
1500 to 1599
1600 to 1649
1650 to 1699
See also
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Companies by year of establishment (category)
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List of oldest banks in continuous operation
This list of the oldest banks includes financial institutions in ''continuous'' operation, operating with the same legal identity without interruption since their establishment until the present time.
Depending on the definition, the world's ...
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List of oldest companies in Australia
This list of oldest businesses and companies in Australia includes businesses, whether incorporated or organised in a different form (such as a partnership). However, the list excludes non-commercial associations and educational, governmental, or ...
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List of oldest companies in India
This list of oldest companies in India includes brands and companies, excluding associations and educational, governmental, or religious organisations. To be listed, a brand or company name must remain, either in whole or in part, since inception ...
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List of oldest companies in the United States
This list of the oldest companies in the United States includes brands and companies, excluding associations, educational, government or religious organizations. To be listed, a brand or company name must remain, either whole or in part, since ince ...
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List of oldest institutions in continuous operation
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Henokiens
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Lindy effect
The Lindy effect (also known as Lindy's Law) is a theorized phenomenon by which the future life expectancy of some non-perishable things, like a technology or an idea, is proportional to their current age. Thus, the Lindy effect proposes the longe ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Oldest companies
Oldest
Economy-related lists of superlatives
Oldest things