Economic characteristics of enterprises: new insights

A new breakdown of enterprises by group affiliation highlights the importance of their participation in larger enterprise groups for economic performance. This approach also enables a deeper understanding of the structure and significance of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

In 2022, independent small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) accounted for 95.0% of all active enterprises across 13 countries (Belgium, Denmark, Ireland, Greece, Spain, France, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, Austria, Finland, Sweden and Norway). SMEs that were part of an enterprise group (dependent SMEs) comprised an additional 4.9% of all enterprises, while large enterprises made up the remaining 0.1%.

SMEs that are part of enterprise group, despite representing only 4.9% of all enterprises in these 13 countries, demonstrated a significant economic impact compared to independent ones. They employed 17.3% of employees and self-employed persons in these countries and accounted for 25.6% of wages and salaries, 28.9% of net turnover, 23.3% of value added and 22.4% of gross operating surplus.

Source dataset:  Eurostat calculations based on EuroGroups Register and SBS data

This information comes from micro data linking exercise between EuroGroups Register and structural business statistics as part of Eurostat’s experimental statistics. 

Micro-, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Day will be marked on 27 June 2025 to highlight the role of these enterprises as drivers of sustainable growth and innovation.