In the European Union (EU) in 2016, the manufacture of food was the largest manufacturing sector in terms of employment, employing 4.3 million people. Many of these jobs were in rural and peripheral regions, underlining the importance of food manufacturing as a key provider of employment opportunities for these communities.
At EU level, the manufacture of food products represented 3.0% of total employment of the non-financial business economyin 2016.
The source dataset is accessible here.
In 2016, food manufacturing was most concentrated in Mazowiecki regionalny in Poland (14.8% of total employment) and Bretagne in France (13.8%).
At least 6.0% of the non-financial business economy workforce was employed in the manufacture of food products in twenty-four EU’s NUTS 2 regions, including:
- four regions in the north-west of Poland: Mazowiecki regionalny (14.8%), Podlaskie (8.2%), Lubelskie (6.3%) and Warmińsko-mazurskie (6.2%);
- two regions in north-west France: Bretagne (13.8%) and Pays de la Loire (9.2%).
The source map is accessible here.
According to the EU Statistical classification of economic activities (NACE), the manufacture of food products covers a range of activities from meat processing to dairy production, from the manufacture of fruit and vegetable-based drinks to bakery products. The structure of food manufacturing is also varied with many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that operate mainly in local and national markets. This is in contrast to large multinational enterprises, which produce and export goods across Europe and beyond.
For more information:
- Eurostat Regions and Cities dedicated page
- Statistics Explained article on Structural business statistics at regional level
- Eurostat regional yearbook 2019 and the corresponding maps in Statistical Atlas
This news is published on the occasion of 'World Food Day' (16 October).
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