Food and drink is Europe’s largest manufacturing industry, generating millions of jobs and playing an integral part in driving the EU economy.
Here’s a breakdown of the industry in numbers:
- The EU food and drink industry employs 4.6 million people
- It generates a turnover of €1.1 trillion
- It generates €229 billion in value-added
- In half of the EU’s 27 Member States, the food and drink industry is the biggest manufacturing employer
- Around 75% of the EU’s food and drink products are destined for the Single Market
- The EU is the largest exporter of food and drink products in the world with exports reaching €182 billion and a trade surplus of €73 billion
For more information, you can check out our latest data and trends report here.