December 5, 2024
Economy

Large businesses make up only 0.2% of EU enterprises

In 2023, the EU had around 33 million enterprises, employing 163 million persons. Those enterprises registered a net turnover of over €38 trillion.

Large enterprises (more than 249 persons employed) represented only 0.2% of the total number of enterprises in the EU’s business economy (53 000 enterprises). However, they employed more than a third of the labour force (58.4 million persons, 36%) and generated more than half (51%) of the net turnover (€19.6 trillion).

Medium-sized enterprises (50-249 persons employed) constituted a small share of the total number of enterprises (0.8%, 246 000 enterprises) and employed 15% of the persons (24.5 million). These enterprises registered approximately one-fifth of the net turnover (€6.5 trillion, 17%). 

The vast majority, 99% (32.4 million enterprises), were micro and small enterprises employing up to 49 persons. Together, micro and small enterprises employed almost half of all persons employed in the business economy (49%, 80.1 million). They generated €12.2 trillion in net turnover, representing 32% of the total net turnover. 

This information comes from the preliminary data on structural business statistics (SBS) for 2023 published by Eurostat today.

Business economy in the EU, 2023. Pie charts - Click below to see full dataset

Source dataset: sbs_sc_ovw

Industry, trade and services: similar turnover, different employment

The services sector accounted for almost one-third of the net turnover (€12.0 trillion, 31%), 63% of the total number of enterprises (20.6 million enterprises), and more than half of the total employment (85.4 million, 52%).

Industry generated 33% of the total net turnover in 2023 (€12.5 trillion). With only 7% of the total number of enterprises (2.5 million), it employed around one-fifth of the business labour force (33.5 million persons, 21% of the total number of persons employed).

Trade represented 30% (€11.5 trillion) of the total turnover but employed 18% of the persons (30 million). 18% of all enterprises (5.8 million) belonged to the trade sector.

Construction had 12% (4 million) of the total number of enterprises, but only 6% (€2.3 trillion) of the total turnover. This sector employed 14.1 million persons (9%).

Enterprises, employment and turnover by sector. EU. 2023 - Click below to see full dataset