Background

About the industry

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.