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.
Against the general trend in Europe, the turnover for commercial printing in Czechia experienced steady growth, moving from slightly below €1.4 billion in 2015 to €1.46 billion in 2019, an average annual growth of 1.1%. The growth rate is below most other CEE countries but higher than the EU average. In 2020, turnover dropped by 4% due to the pandemic, somewhat in the expected range based on the earlier production volume index data.
The number of persons employed showed an upward trend until 2018 when already some consolidation started. The decline accelerated slightly to 3.1% in 2020 due to the effects of the pandemic.
Source: Eurostat 2022 and digitalprintexpert.de
Overall, the printing industry in Czechia accounted for 2.0% of the total European printing industry in 2020, falling between Austria and Sweden—the latter having had a 65% larger turnover back in 2015. In terms of the number of employees in print, the European share of Czechia is markedly bigger at 3.4%, noticeably larger than the employment in the Netherlands.
Czechia—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 €63,541 for 2019 is far below the European average but in the range of most Central and Eastern European countries. The average turnover is below the value for Poland as the average company size in the print industry in Czechia is relatively low. 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 centre, 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 be continued. Next time we will have a look at the printing industry in Finland.
