The full results on turnover (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 Spain remained relatively stable, showing even a small increase from 2015 to 2019 with an average annual growth rate of 1.5% and peaking at €6.06 billion. This came to a sudden end with a steep decline of 13.3% in 2020 due to the pandemic, reaching approximately €5.25 billion. The decline is lower than expected, however, as anticipated from the earlier production volume index data. The number of persons employed remained steady as well until the pandemic at around 58,000 and peaking at 59,730 in 2019. A 3.6% decline in employment in 2020 reduced the employment numbers again but to a much lesser degree than the drop in turnover.
Source: Eurostat 2022 and digitalprintexpert.de
Overall, the printing industry in Spain accounts for 7.5% of the total European printing industry, falling between France and Poland. In terms of the number of employees in print, the European share of Spain is slightly larger at 8.7%.
Spain—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 €101,584 for 2019 is lower than the European average and sits roughly between most Western and Central/Eastern European countries. The employment number does include part-time employees and owners with a salary. The year 2019 has been chosen for the comparison as 2020 could have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Spain – Average Turnover per employee in Commercial Print in Europe, 2019
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, and 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 continues. Next time we will have a look at the printing industry in the Netherlands.
