This article analyzes Russian sub-regional differences in micro-enterprises population development. Micro-enterprises in Russia exist for a long time, but have acquired an official status only in 2009. In 2010 was organized the first SME statistical monitoring, where micro-companies were represented as separate business units. The peculiarity of this type of businesses is that their birth and survival rates are used as indicators of the business climate in the region and also represent social function of entrepreneurship. This article is fully based on official quantitative information published by The Federal State Statistics Service, analytical agencies and experts. Authors used to find the factors that characterize the micro-enterprise development in regions of Russia. These indicators are able to point out ahead of problem areas that require the implementation of special programs for the development of entrepreneurial activity.