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Data extracted in April 2025.

Planned article update: April 2026.

Highlights

In 2023, over 49 million people in EU-EFTA countries found employment with multinational enterprise groups.

In Europe, multinational enterprise groups lead the employment scene with 29% of the business workforce, and a massive 83% of them are part of only a handful of major groups.



This article gives an overview of multinational enterprise groups operating in EU countries and European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries in 2023, according to the data available in the EuroGroups Register (EGR).

In 2023, according to the EGR

  • 151 004 multinational enterprise groups operated in EU and EFTA countries
  • They employed over 49 million people – around 29% of the people in the European business economy worked for a multinational enterprise group
  • Most of these people worked for a multinational enterprise group controlled by an EU or EFTA country (77% and 6% respectively). The majority worked in a small number of large groups employing more than 1 000 persons (83%) carrying on more than 5 economic activities (73%) and present in more than 6 EU-EFTA countries (66%).

The EGR brings together microdata on multinational enterprise groups from the national statistical business registers in EU and EFTA countries, in line with the requirements in Regulation (EU) No 2152/2019, and from a commercial data source for data outside the EU and EFTA. In addition, data outside the EU and EFTA is complemented by open data sources available online.

In 2023, the EGR contained information on

  • the structure of control (who controls whom) of the 151 004 multinational enterprise groups with activities in the EU and EFTA
  • their main economic characteristics (employment, NACE, turnover and assets)
  • their perimeter in terms of legal units (about 1.5 million) and enterprises (530 400 enterprises inside EU and EFTA countries and 511 900 enterprises outside the EU and EFTA)

Each legal unit in the EGR uses a single identifier (based on a country code and a national identifier), allowing this microdata to be linked with other statistical or administrative data.

The EGR is updated annually, and the microdata are sent to national statistical authorities, national central banks and the European Central Bank. The complete microdata is for statistical purposes only. On average, about 560 statisticians access the EGR online applications each year.

Multinational enterprise groups operating in the EU and EFTA countries

In the EGR, a multinational enterprise group is defined as an enterprise group that operates in at least 2 countries, with one of these being in the EU or EFTA.

For the reference year 2023, the EGR included 151 004 multinational enterprise groups operating in EU and EFTA countries, composed of

  • around 1.5 million legal units
  • 530 400 enterprises in the EU and EFTA countries employing over 49 million people (i.e. around 29% of the people working in the Business economy)
  • 511 900 enterprises outside the EU and EFTA

The number of multinational enterprise groups in EGR increased by 17% in 2021 and 14% in 2023 compared with 2018 (see Figure 1). The trend is highly impacted by the variation of groups of a very small size. However, the increase in 2021 was also due to the implementation of the EBS Regulation (EU) No 2152/2019, which expanded the coverage of legal units.

Figure 1


Who controls multinational enterprise groups operating in the EU and EFTA?

This article describes the main structural characteristics of multinational enterprise groups with activities in the EU and EFTA, looking at their country of control, size, economic activity and geographical presence in the EU and EFTA countries, and worldwide.

In 2023, 73% of the multinational enterprise groups operating in the EU and EFTA were controlled by an EU country (64%) or an EFTA country (9%). Together, they employed 83% of the total workforce of multinational enterprise groups in the EU and EFTA.

The remaining 27%, employing 17% of the workforce of these groups, were controlled by countries outside the EU and EFTA (see Figure 2 and Maps 1 and 2).

Figure 2

Between 2018 and 2023, the distribution of multinational enterprise groups operating in EU-EFTA countries by controlling area is relatively stable (see Figure 3). The EU ranked first accounting for 64% to 66% of the multinational enterprise group, EFTA accounted for 9% to 10%, and the rest of the world for 24% to 27%.

Figure 3

The control of a multinational enterprise group in the EGR is assigned to the country of the Ultimate Controlling Institutional (UCI) unit.

Bubble map showing multinational enterprise groups operating in EU-EFTA countries by country of control. Each country has a bubble sized within ranges of the number of MNE groups for the year 2023.
Map 1: Multinational enterprise groups operating in EU-EFTA by country of control, 2023
Source: Eurostat (egr_mne)

More than 130 countries outside the EU and EFTA controlled at least 1 multinational enterprise group operating in the EU and EFTA (see Map 2).

Bubble map showing multinational enterprise groups operating in EU-EFTA controlled by extra-EU-EFTA countries. Various countries on the world map have a bubble sized within ranges of the number of MNE groups for the year 2023.
Map 2: Multinational enterprise groups operating in EU-EFTA controlled by extra-EU-EFTA countries, 2023
Source: Eurostat

According to the EGR, in 2023, the 3 countries outside the EU and EFTA that controlled the most multinational enterprise groups in the EU and EFTA were

  • the United Kingdom (around 14 000 multinational enterprise groups)
  • the United States (around 8 300 multinational enterprise groups)
  • China including Hong Kong (around 2 600 multinational enterprise groups)

In 2023, the EGR recorded 466 multinational enterprise groups operating in EU-EFTA that were controlled by a Russian UCI and employed around 35 500 people in EU-EFTA countries. Moreover, around 3 300 multinational enterprise groups operating in EU-EFTA had legal units in Russia.

In 2023, according to EGR, 214 multinational enterprise groups operating in EU-EFTA were controlled by Ukraine and employed around 7 300 people in EU-EFTA countries. Moreover, around 1 400 multinational enterprise groups operating in EU-EFTA had legal units in Ukraine.

Figure 4 provides a breakdown of employment in multinational enterprise groups in the EU and EFTA by controlling area, i.e. with a controlling unit (UCI) in the same country, in other EU-EFTA countries or in extra-EU-EFTA countries.

Figure 4


Multinational enterprise groups in the EU and EFTA are mainly active in the manufacturing sector, and employment is concentrated in a small number of MNE groups

In 2023, multinational enterprise groups operating in the EU and EFTA countries carried out a large variety of economic activities, covering 21 NACE sections and 87 NACE divisions, according to the EGR.

Figure 5

The 5 economic activities with the largest employment at NACE section level are

  • manufacturing (34%)
  • wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles (17%)
  • administrative and support service activities, financial and insurance activities, and transporting and storage (all of them representing 8%)

The multinational enterprise groups mainly active in manufacturing employ around 16.5 million people in EU-EFTA countries. The top 3 activities at NACE division level in terms of EU-EFTA employment (see Figure 5B) are

  • manufacture of motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailer (2.5 million)
  • manufacture of machinery and equipment (2.2 million)
  • manufacture of food products (1.5 million)
Figure 5B


Large and diversified multinational enterprise groups are the biggest employers

In the 2023 EGR

  • 5% of the largest multinational enterprise groups (employing more than 1 000 persons) operating in the EU and EFTA countries, accounted for 83% of the employment in the MNE groups (employ 83% of the persons employed in the MNE groups in EU-EFTA countries)
  • 65% of the smallest (employing fewer than 50 persons), recorded a share of 2% in the employment (see Figure 6)
Figure 6

According to the EGR, in 2023, multinational enterprise groups employed more than 49 million people in EU-EFTA countries as compared with 42 million in 2018. The multinational enterprise groups increased their employment in Europe either by extending their control on attractive enterprises (e.g. via acquisitions), by creating new jobs in their enterprises, or by creating new enterprises.

Figure 7

In 2023, 29% of people working in the business economy work in a multinational enterprise group and this share is rather stable (see Figure 8). It accounted for around 31% in 2018 and 2019, 32% in 2020, and a slight drop to 28% could be observed in 2021 and 2022. In 2021, a break in series was recorded caused by the extended scope of the NACE sections used for the total employment (i.e. the denominator). Since 2021, the total employment encompassed the employment in the NACE activity sections B to S (excluding O and S94), while before 2021 only the non-financial business economy was covered (NACE sections from B to N excluding K).

Figure 8

Between 2018 and 2023, in European countries, the percentage of people working in multinational enterprise groups in the total business economy employment remained stable as well, as shown in Figure 8. However, the percent level varies from country to country, ranging from less than 14% in Greece to more than 50% in Luxembourg.

Between 2018 and 2023, the concentration of employment in the largest multinational enterprise groups was high and steady (see Figure 9), the largest MNE groups ranked first, gathering 83% of the persons employed by the MNE groups in EU-EFTA countries.

Figure 9

In 2023, most multinational enterprise groups recorded in the EGR carried out more than one economic activity (55 %)

  • 44% carried out only 1 activity (mono-active groups)
  • 47% carried out 2-4 economic activities
  • 9% carried out more than 5 economic activities.

In the EGR, the diversification of a multinational enterprise group is determined by the number of activities carried out by its enterprises at NACE division level.

Most of the employment (73%) was concentrated in the multinational enterprise groups carrying out more than 5 economic activities (see Figure 10).

Figure 10


Most multinational enterprise groups with activities in the EU and EFTA have operations only inside borders of EU-EFTA area

In 2023, 53% of the multinational enterprise groups operating in the EU and EFTA have affiliates only within the borders of the EU-EFTA area, while 42% of them also have affiliates in the rest of the world. In 2023, the EGR recorded that

  • 4% of multinational enterprise groups active in the EU and EFTA area are present in 6 or more EU and EFTA countries, employing 66% of the people working in multinational enterprise group in the EU and EFTA
  • 13% of multinational enterprise groups were present in between 3 and 5 EU and EFTA countries, employing 18% of persons employed
  • 83% of multinational enterprise groups were present in fewer than 3 EU and EFTA countries, employing 17% of persons employed (see Figure 11)
Figure 11


Presence of European multinational enterprise groups in countries outside the EU and EFTA

In 2023, the EGR recorded around 24 400 multinational enterprise groups controlled by EU and EFTA countries having legal units located in non-EU-EFTA countries. Among them

  • 13 200 multinational enterprise groups had at least 1 legal unit in the United Kingdom
  • 5 900 had a legal unit in the United States (see Map 3)
Bubble map showing worldwide presence of multinational enterprise groups controlled by EU and EFTA countries. Various countries on the world map have a bubble sized within ranges of the number of MNE groups operating in EU-EFTA for the year 2023.
Map 3: Worldwide presence of multinational enterprise groups controlled by EU-EFTA countries, 2023
Source: Eurostat


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Data sources

The EuroGroups register (EGR) database is the source of the above-mentioned multinational enterprise groups data. The EGR is the statistical business register of the EU Member States and EFTA countries for multinational enterprise groups. It produces data in yearly cycles and covers microdata on the groups and their consisting enterprises and legal units.

The EGR aims to register all multinational enterprise groups that have enterprises in EU Member States or EFTA countries, including European and non-European groups. EGR does not cover all-resident enterprise groups – those that consist of enterprises only in 1 country, nor independent enterprises.

However, the EGR final frame includes additional foreign-controlled units. These are either single legal units or all-resident enterprise groups without an identified foreign-controlling parent, where only the residence country of the foreign parent has been delivered to the EGR. Such additional foreign-controlled units are not included in this article.

The EGR microdata help explore to the structure and impact of multinational enterprise groups in Europe. We can analyze group size, complexity and employment patterns in European countries, together with their European influence.

The EGR makes it possible to present results from 2 sides: from the multinational enterprise group perspective, based on the country of control of the group, and from the national perspective of the country in which the group is located, irrespective of where the UCI is located.

The EGR is a statistical business register that serves statistical purposes only. Access to EGR data is restricted to national statistical institutes and national central banks that produce official statistics in the EU Member States and EFTA countries.

Context

Globalisation and the increasing complexity of multinational enterprise group activities means it is difficult to produce business statistics and macroeconomic statistics and correctly and consistently reflect MNE group activities in European statistics. To better analyse cross-border transactions of large multinational enterprise groups and correctly record them in statistical business registers, statisticians in the European Statistical System European Statistical System (ESS) and European System of Central Banks (ESCB) need to be able to observe the complete and correct economic structures of multinational enterprise groups.

Explore further

Other articles


Database

Thematic section

Methodology

Legislation
  • Regulation (EEC) No 696/1993 of 15 March 1993 on the statistical units for the observation and analysis of the production system in the Community (Summary)
  • Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 November 2019 on European business statistics, repealing 10 legal acts in the field of business statistics
  • Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1197 of 30 July 2020 laying down technical specifications and arrangements pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 of the European Parliament and of the Council on European business statistics repealing 10 legal acts in the field of business statistics


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