The EU had around 33 million enterprises in 2023, employing 163 million people, registering a net turnover of over EUR 38 trillion. They represented no more than 0.2 percent of the total number of enterprises in the EU’s business economy.
Large enterprises are classed as having more than 249 employees. According to the set of figures released by Eurostat, the EU’s statistics agency, they are bno more than nly 0.2% of the 53,000 enterprises in the EU’s business economy.
However, they do employ 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 businesses (classed as employing 50 to 249 people) 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.
The information comes from the preliminary data on structural business statistics (SBS) for 2023 just published by Eurostat.
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%).
