This study examines how rural conditions affect the establishment and performance of new circular economy (CE) companies—those that reduce, reuse, recycle, and recover materials in their processes—focusing on their longevity, financial performance, and distribution of economic value to stakeholders. We hypothesize that while rural conditions generally lead to fewer business establishments, the liability of rurality is less severe for CE companies than for others. We also anticipate that new CE companies will grow more slowly but achieve better performance, resulting in higher survival rates compared to those in other sectors. Our empirical analysis includes all CE companies established in Spain over the past decade. The results indicate that rural CE companies have higher survival rates than their urban counterparts, even after controlling for factors like subsidies and personnel costs. Although rural CE companies exhibit slower growth, they achieve greater profitability. Thus, the CE sector in rural areas demonstrates sustainability not only through its circular practices but also in financial terms, offering significant implications for investors seeking sustainable ventures.

本研究考察了农村条件如何影响新循环经济 （CE） 公司的建立和绩效，这些公司在其流程中减少、再利用、回收和回收材料，重点关注其寿命、财务业绩和向利益相关者分配经济价值。我们假设，虽然农村条件通常会导致商业机构减少，但 CE 公司对农村的责任不如其他公司严重。我们还预计，新的 CE 公司将增长得更慢，但表现会更好，从而与其他行业的公司相比，生存率更高。我们的实证分析包括过去十年在西班牙成立的所有 CE 公司。结果表明，即使在控制了补贴和人员成本等因素后，农村 CE 公司的存活率也高于城市同行。尽管农村 CE 公司的增长速度较慢，但它们实现了更高的盈利能力。因此，农村地区的 CE 部门不仅通过其循环实践展示了可持续性，而且在财务方面也证明了可持续性，为寻求可持续企业的投资者提供了重大影响。