Large enterprises across the European Union, while making up a tiny fraction of the total 33.5 million companies, generated over half of the net turnover in 2024, according to Eurostat, highlighting the economic dominance of major firms.

Overall, the EU had around 33.5 million enterprises in 2024, collectively employing 164.2 million people.

These enterprises registered a net turnover of €38.7 trillion for the year.

Large enterprises, defined as those employing more than 249 people, represented only 0.2 per cent of the total number of enterprises in the EU’s business economy, accounting for 55,000 firms.

Despite their small number, large enterprises generated more than half, 51.3 per cent, of the net turnover, totalling €19.9 trillion.

These large firms employed 36.3 per cent of the labour force in the business economy, representing 59.7 million people.

Medium-sized enterprises, employing between 50 and 249 people, constituted 0.8 per cent of the total number of enterprises in the business economy, amounting to 251,000 firms.

These medium-sized businesses accounted for 15.2 per cent of the total employment, with 24.9 million people.

Medium-sized enterprises registered approximately one-fifth, 17.2 per cent, of the net turnover, or €6.6 trillion.

The vast majority of companies in the EU business economy, 99.0 per cent or 33.2 million firms, were micro and small enterprises employing up to 49 people.

Together, these smaller companies accounted for almost half of the employment in businesses, at 48.5 per cent or 80 million people.

Micro and small enterprises generated €12.2 trillion in net turnover, representing 31.5 per cent of the total net turnover.

Turning to sector performance, the European Union’s services sector registered the highest turnover in 2024 at €12.6 trillion, or 32.6 per cent.

The services sector also had the highest number of enterprises with 21.2 million, accounting for 63.4 per cent of the total number of enterprises.

It also represented more than half of the business economy’s employment, with 86.5 million people, or 52.7 per cent.

Industry generated 31.7 per cent of the total net turnover in 2024, totalling €12.3 trillion.

With only 7.3 per cent of the total number of enterprises, or 2.5 million firms, the industry sector employed around one-fifth of the business labour force, or 33.6 million people, which is 20.5 per cent of the total number of people employed.

Trade represented 29.7 per cent of the total turnover, equating to €11.5 trillion, but employed 18.3 per cent of people, or 30.1 million.

This trade sector represented 17.2 per cent of all enterprises, accounting for 5.8 million firms.

The construction sector had 12.1 per cent of the total number of enterprises, with 4.0 million firms.

However, construction only generated 6.0 per cent of the total turnover, amounting to €2.3 trillion, while employing 14.0 million people, or 8.5 per cent.