Finally, the full results on the turnover (revenues) in the printing industry in Europe for 2020 are in, 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 France hovered around the €8.5 billion mark in recent years and reached a high of €9.5 billion in 2018, declining to €8.4 billion in 2019. This was followed by a 16.1% drop to €6.9 billion in 2020. The number of persons employed had a steady decline from close to 65,000 in 2015 to 62,681 in 2020. The 6.3% decline in employment in 2020 was higher than the average decline of close to 3% in the years before, but not as steep as the drop in turnover.
Source: Eurostat 2022 and digitalprintexpert.de
Overall, the printing industry in France accounts for 9.8% of the total European printing industry, falling between Italy and Spain. In terms of the number of employees in print, the European share of France is lower, and the numbers fall behind Spain.
France—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 €149,715 for 2019 is higher than the European average and surpasses the values of Spain, Germany, and the UK, although the Benelux and most Nordic countries have a higher turnover. 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.
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 the UK.
