Pharmaceutical exports supported 926 000 EU jobs

In 2023, EU exports of pharmaceutical products to non-EU countries supported the employment of 926 000 people in the EU, representing 4.3‰ (per mille) of total EU employment. Both the number of workers and their share of total employment reached their highest levels in 2023.

These figures include the employment within the pharmaceutical industry or in other industries. While 325 000 people were employed in the EU pharmaceutical industry (direct effect), EU pharmaceutical exports sustained 601 000 workers across other industries (indirect effect), confirming the role of the pharmaceutical industry as a net contributor to broader EU employment through its exports to non-EU countries.

The number of EU workers across all industries tied to the pharmaceutical exports rose steadily, from 504 000 in 2010. Overall, EU employment generated by pharmaceutical exports nearly doubled between 2010 and 2023. At the same time, the share of EU employment linked to the exports of pharmaceutical products grew from 2.6‰ in 2010 to 4.3‰ in 2023.

This article presents a handful of findings from the more detailed Statistics Explained article on employment and value added using FIGARO data - pharmaceuticals.

Source datasets: naio_10_fgdee and nama_10_a64_e

Looking at the EU's pharmaceutical industry export destinations, trade with the United States had the highest impact on EU employment, as exports to this country supported the jobs of 275 000 EU workers in 2023.

Switzerland and China ranked second and third, with 104 000 and 103 000 EU people whose jobs were sustained by exports from the EU pharmaceutical sector to these destinations.

The United Kingdom and Japan came next, with 51 000 and 42 000 EU workers, respectively.

Overall, exports of pharmaceuticals generated growing employment in the EU between 2010 and 2023. This rise was driven by 5 major EU trade partners, with the sharpest increases coming from the United States (+147 000 workers compared with 2010), China (+91 000) and Switzerland (+38 000).

Source dataset: naio_10_fgdee