Key Figures on European Business
12 Maggio 2008
The pocketbook Key figures on European business1, published by Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities, summarises the main features of European business in a concise and
simple manner.
The publication consists of fourteen short chapters, focusing on particular aspects of the European business economy; from the size and structure of business sectors to the importance of
foreign controlled enterprises. This edition includes a special feature on the factors of business success, which presents an analysis of the characteristics of successful entrepreneurs for 15
Member States. The special feature gives an insight into the issues that determine the success and growth of newly born enterprises, as well as the motivation of entrepreneurs and the
difficulties they face.
127 million persons employed in the EU27 non-financial business economy
In 2005, the total number of enterprises in the EU27 non-financial business economy2 was almost 20 million. In total, these enterprises generated 5 400 billion euro in value added and employed
127 million persons. Three sectors together accounted for more than half of the total number of enterprises: retail trade (3.8 million or 19%), other business activities3 (3.7 million or 19%)
and construction (2.8 million or 14%).
These were also the sectors with the highest employment. Other business activities was the largest sector, with 18 million persons employed, representing 14% of all employment in the
non-financial business economy in the EU27 in 2005, followed by retail trade (17 million or 14%) and construction (14 million or 11%).
Other business activities also had the highest value added with 656 bn euro, the equivalent of 12% of total value added in all sectors, followed by wholesale trade (480 bn or 9%) and
construction (466 bn or 9%).
Key indicators on the non-financial business economy in the EU27, 2005
Enterprises
Value added
Number of persons employed
000
Share of total (%)
Billion ?
Share of total (%)
000
Share of total (%)
Non-financial business economy
19 647
100.0
5 400
100.0
126 700
100.0
Mining & quarrying
21
0.1
83
1.5
772
0.6
Food, beverage and tobacco
310
1.6
199
3.7
4 752
3.8
Textiles & textile products
228
1.2
53
1.0
2 620
2.1
Leather & leather products
45
0.2
11
0.2
564
0.4
Wood & wood products
198
1.0
35
0.7
1 280
1.0
Pulp, paper, printing
238
1.2
130
2.4
2 560
2.0
Refined petroleum products; nuclear fuel
1
0.0
39
0.7
170
0.1
Chemicals & man-made fibers
34
0.2
178
3.3
1 888
1.5
Rubber & plastics
66
0.3
76
1.4
1 700
1.3
Other non-metal. minerals
106
0.5
73
1.4
1 596
1.3
Basic & fabric. metals
418
2.1
222
4.1
5 050
4.0
Mach. & equipment n.e.c.
176
0.9
178
3.3
3 636
2.9
Elec. & optical equipment
205
1.0
190
3.5
3 664
2.9
Transport equipment
45
0.2
181
3.4
3 153
2.5
Manufacturing n.e.c.
251
1.3
57
1.0
1 942
1.5
Electricity, gas & water
28
0.1
190
3.5
1 600
1.3
Construction
2 793
14.2
466
8.6
13 548
10.7
Motor trades
790
4.0
151
2.8
4 107
3.2
Wholesale trade
1 712
8.7
480
8.9
9 732
7.7
Retail trade
3 758
19.1
392
7.3
17 125
13.5
Hotels & restaurants
1 644
8.4
168
3.1
8 846
7.0
Land transport; pipelines
900
4.6
180
3.3
5 500
4.3
Water transport
19
0.1
25
0.5
214
0.2
Air transport
4
0.0
27
0.5
400
0.3
Other transport; travel agencies
182
0.9
148
2.7
2 612
2.1
Post & telecoms
69
0.4
251
4.6
3 075
2.4
Real estate
1 010
5.1
248
4.6
2 690
2.1
Renting
146
0.7
75
1.4
600
0.5
Computer services
520
2.6
170
3.1
2 700
2.1
R&D
39
0.2
22
0.4
400
0.3
Other business activities
3 660
18.6
656
12.1
18 102
14.3
Germany accounted for almost a quarter of the number of credit institutions in the EU27
There were around 8 700 credit institutions4 in the EU27 in 2006, employing 3.2 million persons. Their net interest earned amounted to 300 billion euro and their net commissions to 150 bn euro.
They held 2 060 billion euro of capital and reserves, while their total assets and liabilities (balance sheet) amounted to 36 000 billion euro, three times the EU27 GDP.
Amongst the Member States in 2006, Germany with almost 2 000 credit institutions accounted for 23% of the total number in the EU27, followed by France (840 institutions and 10%) and Austria
(800 institutions and 9%). Germany also recorded the highest number of persons employed in credit institutions (680 thousand, 21% of total), followed by the United Kingdom (450 thousand, 14%),
France (410 thousand, 13%) and Italy (340 thousand, 11%).
In 2006, Germany (66 bn, 22%) accounted for the highest share of net interest earned by credit institutions in the EU27, followed by the United Kingdom (59 bn, 20%), Italy (33 bn, 11%) and
Spain (29 bn, 10%), while for net commissions the highest amounts were found in the United Kingdom (38 bn, 24%), Germany (27 bn, 17%), France (22 bn, 14%) and Italy (20 bn, 13%). In all Member
States, except Luxembourg, net income from interest was higher than net income from commissions.
The United Kingdom (533 bn euro, 26%) recorded more than a quarter of the capital and reserves held by credit institutions in the EU27 in 2006, followed by Italy (277 bn, 13%), France (266 bn,
13%) and Germany (260 bn, 13%).
The United Kingdom (9 500 bn euro, 27%) also accounted for more than a quarter of the total assets and liabilities (balance sheet) of credit institutions in 2006 in the EU27, followed by
Germany (7 300 bn, 20%) and France (5 400 bn, 15%). As a percentage of GDP, the balance sheet of credit institutions varied greatly among Member States, ranging from 50% in Romania and 65% in
Poland to 2 480% in Luxembourg and around 500% in Cyprus, the United Kingdom and Ireland.
Credit institutions, 2006*
Number of credit institutions
Number of persons employed in credit institutions, in thousands
Net interest, bn euro
Net commissions, bn euro
Total of capitals and reserves, bn euro
Balance sheet total
Bn euro
% of GDP
EU27**
8 718
3 224
299.4
154.3
2 062.9
35 709.9
307
Belgium
109
67
7.9
2.8
37.3
1 121.6
354
Bulgaria
34
23
0.7
0.2
2.0
16.8
77
Czech Republic
54
37
2.6
1.2
8.1
107.9
95
Denmark
164
48
6.6
2.4
45.9
780.6
355
Germany
1 966
680
65.5
26.7
259.5
7 289.9
314
Estonia
23
c
0.3
0.1
1.8
15.3
116
Ireland
80
36
7.5
3.0
44.0
722.5
487
Greece
62
62
7.5
1.5
19.6
314.6
147
Spain
352
262
28.7
12.5
180.1
2 515.5
256
France
842
411
26.1
22.1
266.0
5 415.0
302
Italy
785
343
32.8
19.9
276.6
2 679.9
188
Cyprus
332
11
1.2
0.3
7.4
75.0
513
Latvia
27
12
0.5
0.2
2.0
22.7
140
Lithuania
78
9
0.3
0.1
1.6
17.2
73
Luxembourg
156
25
3.6
3.7
35.2
839.6
2 480
Hungary
208
40
2.7
1.1
9.2
82.7
92
Malta
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
Netherlands
91
126
16.4
5.1
126.5
1 752.3
344
Austria
803
76
7.1
3.8
56.6
774.1
300
Poland
652
157
5.3
2.3
18.1
175.2
65
Portugal
183
55
5.4
2.2
33.8
398.4
257
Romania
171
55
1.6
0.9
5.2
49.0
50
Slovenia
20
12
0.7
0.3
3.2
33.8
111
Slovakia
24
21
0.9
0.3
:
37.8
85
Finland
363
25
2.9
0.9
21.4
234.5
149
Sweden
195
43
5.4
3.0
69.0
720.8
230
United Kingdom
394
453
59.1
37.6
532.7
9 517.2
498
Norway
212
25
5.2
1.4
27.4
424.9
159
Switzerland
338
113
0.6
12.6
87.5
1 307.7
423
: Data not available
c Confidential
* Number of credit institutions, net interest, net commissions, total of capital and reserves, balance sheet total: 2005: Bulgaria, Italy, the Netherlands, Finland, 2004: Ireland
Number of persons employed: 2005: Bulgaria, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, Finland, 2004: Ireland. Sweden: number of employees of full-time equivalent instead of employed.
** EU27: sum of available Member State data
Net interest is compiled from interest and similar income less interest payable and similar charges, and is also known as the interest margin.
Net commissions are compiled from commissions receivable less commissions payable.
Capital and reserves are the own funds of the banks.
The balance sheet total represents the total assets or the total liabilities as recorded on the balance sheet.
1. The publication «Key figures on European business» can be downloaded free of charge in PDF format and paper copies can be ordered through the Eurostat website. The publication
presents only a small selection of the most important data available. For further information, the Eurostat website offers a section dedicated to European business.
2. The non-financial business economy excludes agricultural activities, public administration and other non-market services, such as education and health and also excludes the financial
services sector, for which activity specific information is presented in the publication. NACE Rev. 1.1 is the common statistical classification of economic activity within the European
Community. NACE Rev. 1.1 is available on the Eurostat website.
3. Other business activities: Legal, accounting, book-keeping and auditing activities; tax consultancy; market research and public opinion polling; business and management consultancy;
holdings, Architectural and engineering activities and related technical consultancy, Technical testing and analysis, Advertising, Labour recruitment and provision of personnel, Investigation
and security activities, Industrial cleaning, Miscellaneous business activities n.e.c.
4. Credit institutions: an undertaking whose business is to receive deposits or other repayable funds from the public and to grant credits for its own account.
