The full results on turnover (i.e., revenues) in the printing industry in Europe for 2020 were published late in 2022 after index data was the only source for print volume developments during the pandemic. While the index data only allowed for volume developments, now real turnover data is available—even if the data is far from perfect.
The turnover for commercial printing in Hungary has seen some growth from 2016 to 2018 with a slight slowdown in 2019. Turnover in 2019 amounted to €958 million, somewhat higher than the €926 million achieved in 2015 but below the peak in 2018. In 2020, turnover dropped decisively by 9.7% due to the pandemic, higher than the expected range based on the earlier production volume index data, which indicated only a small decline in the production volume for 2020.
The number of persons employed remained almost flat from 2015 to 2019, ranging around the 16.500 mark. The decline accelerated somewhat to 2.4% in 2020 at the onset of the pandemic, a much lower rate than the drop in turnover.
Source: Eurostat 2022 and digitalprintexpert.de
Overall, the printing industry in Hungary accounted for 1.2% of the total European printing industry in 2020, falling between Sweden and Finland. In terms of the number of employees in print, the European share of Hungary is markedly higher at 2.4%, giving it almost the employment number of the Netherlands.
Hungary—Share of Turnover and Employment in Commercial Print in Europe, 2020
Source: Eurostat 2022 and digitalprintexpert.de
Based on Eurostat numbers for turnover and the number of employees in the printing industry the average annual turnover per employee can be calculated. The €57,517 for 2019 is considerably lower than the European average and in the range of most countries in Central and Eastern Europe. It does trail Czechia and Poland nevertheless, the two largest producers of print in that region. The employment number does include part-time employees and owners with a salary. The year 2019 has been chosen as a basis for the comparison as 2020 could have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and the differing speeds the labour markets reacted.
Source: Eurostat 2022 and digitalprintexpert.de
Please keep in mind that the data is based on Eurostat numbers for printing and related services (complemented by some estimates), which consists mainly of commercial and publishing printing, including prepress and finishing companies. That means that packaging, data center, direct mail print, or quick print/copy shops are not included or only on a limited basis. In house print/CRD are not included at all. Europe as used in the series of articles includes the EU countries plus Norway, Switzerland, and the UK. If you have questions about sizing the European printing industry or need clarification, please contact me at [email protected].
This series on the turnover and employment development in commercial print in Europe will continue. Next time we will have a look at the printing industry in Portugal.
