New business creation has surged in recent years, as the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic effects have sparked heavy interest in entrepreneurship: applications for new businesses in the U.S. have exceeded 400,000 in all but two months since July 2020. However, entrepreneurship remains an inherently risky endeavor. Only around half of all businesses survive their first five years after opening, and only around one-third last for a decade. While risk is unavoidable in any new business, entrepreneurs in certain industries can expect greater likelihood of survival. Researchers calculated a composite risk index based on the most recent one-, two-, three-, four-, and five-year survival rates for establishments in each industry, then ranked industries accordingly.