Sky scrapers.

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

Source dataset: sbs_sc_ovw

For more information

Methodological notes

  • The term ‘business economy’ is defined as industry, construction and market services (except public administration and defence; compulsory social security; activities of membership organisations).
  • Micro, small, medium-sized and large enterprises in structural business statistics (SBS) are defined on the basis of the number of persons employed only and do not take into account other factors such as turnover and balance sheet totals. Enterprises can belong to larger enterprise groups.
  • The number of persons employed is the number of employees and self-employed persons.
  • In SBS, the term ‘industry’ covers the following sections of the NACE: business enterprises in ‘mining and quarrying’; ‘manufacturing’; ‘electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply’; and ‘water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities’.
  • In SBS, the term ‘services’ covers the following segments of the NACE: business enterprises in sections ‘transportation and storage’; ‘accommodation and food service activities’; ‘information and communication’; ‘financial and insurance activities’; ‘real estate activities’; ‘professional, scientific and technical activities’; ‘administrative and support service activities’; ‘education’; ‘human health and social work activities’; ‘arts, entertainment and recreation’; and divisions ‘repair of computers and personal and household goods’; ‘other personal service activities’.

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