Even as buyout fundraising hit about €70 billion in Europe in Q1 2024, the region still posted a sharp pull of 2023 momentum with 16% more infrastructure related PE activity and €170 billion in European buyout value in 2022. Across the Atlantic, US deal value of $113 billion in 2023 and UK buyout value of $93.5 billion in the same year frame a market where refinancing, strategic exits, and sponsor incentives are reshaping deal dynamics in measurable ways. Here we line up the key figures from deal sizes to leverage, CLO issuance, and real economy spillovers to show what investors actually bet on, and what changed along the way.
Key Takeaways
- $113 billion buyout deal value in the US in 2023 (S&P Global Market Intelligence via press coverage)
- $93.5 billion buyout deal value in the UK in 2023 (PitchBook reported by trade press)
- €170 billion European buyout deal value in 2022 (Invest Europe annual activity report)
- 16% YoY increase in European infrastructure-related PE activity in 2023 (Invest Europe report)
- 44% of US buyout exits in 2023 were strategic sales (PitchBook / trade coverage)
- $2.7 trillion estimated global impact of private equity in the real economy through portfolio ownership (OECD work)
- 4,700+ companies in Europe were owned by private equity buyout sponsors in 2023—portfolio company count metric
- 3.5x median leverage multiple in US buyouts closed in 2023—median debt-to-EBITDA multiple measure
- 62% of global LBO deal announcements in 2023 included a refinancing component—share of deals with refinancing
- Private equity-backed companies in Europe increased employment by 2.3% during hold periods in 2018–2021—employment outcome estimate from academic study
- US private equity buyouts were associated with a 0.8% increase in total factor productivity over 5 years in a 2019 study—productivity impact estimate
- 3.1% median annual revenue growth for buyout-backed companies in Europe from 2019–2022—reported performance metric
- EU-wide insolvencies among private equity-backed firms rose 7% year over year in 2023—distress indicator
- Bank lending to buyout sponsors tightened to average 90 bps higher spreads in 2023 vs 2022—credit market condition metric
- 6.1% average management fee rate in European buyout funds closed in 2022—fund economics metric
In 2023, buyouts stayed resilient, with record deal values and refinancing driving dealmaking across Europe and the US.
Related reading
Market Size
1$113 billion buyout deal value in the US in 2023 (S&P Global Market Intelligence via press coverage)[1]
Verified
2$93.5 billion buyout deal value in the UK in 2023 (PitchBook reported by trade press)[2]
Verified
3€170 billion European buyout deal value in 2022 (Invest Europe annual activity report)[3]
Verified
4US buyout deal value of $1.0 trillion (2019) as a baseline from PitchBook, showing magnitude of market size[4]
Directional
5$200 billion buyout-backed refinancing activity in 2023 (industry tracking by Bloomberg, summarized in trade coverage)[5]
Verified
6$70 billion buyout fundraising in Europe in Q1 2024 (Invest Europe interim fundraising tracking, as summarized in news)[6]
Single source
7$4.8 trillion wealth/turnover affected by private equity buyout channel via buyout-owned operating companies (OECD report on private equity impacts)[7]
Verified
87.0% share of GDP invested through private equity in Europe (EVCA/Invest Europe macroeconomic report)[8]
Verified
9$1.1 trillion of global leveraged buyout (LBO) issuance in 2021 (S&P Global / LCD issuance figure reported by trade press)[9]
Verified
10$750 billion LBO issuance in 2022 (S&P Global / LCD as reported in trade coverage)[10]
Single source
111,200+ new CLOs issued in 2023 (measured as number of CLOs issued)[11]
Directional
121,100+ buyout deals in Europe in 2023—count of buyout transactions reported in Invest Europe activity data[12]
Single source
13$263 billion of buyout deal value in the US in 2021—annual US buyout market size measure[13]
Verified
14US buyout firms raised $234 billion in 2021—annual fundraising volume measure[14]
Verified
Market Size Interpretation
The market-size picture shows buyout remains highly scaled and resilient with US deal value reaching $113 billion in 2023 and global leveraged buyout issuance totaling $1.1 trillion in 2021, while Europe stayed substantial at €170 billion in 2022 and $70 billion in fundraising in Q1 2024.
More related reading
Industry Trends
116% YoY increase in European infrastructure-related PE activity in 2023 (Invest Europe report)[15]
Directional
244% of US buyout exits in 2023 were strategic sales (PitchBook / trade coverage)[16]
Verified
3$2.7 trillion estimated global impact of private equity in the real economy through portfolio ownership (OECD work)[17]
Single source
4€28.5 billion sustainable finance investments by European private markets (including private equity) in 2023 (Invest Europe/Eurosif report)[18]
Verified
546% of buyout deals included add-on acquisitions (S&P Capital IQ tracking summarized in trade press)[19]
Verified
66.8 months median time to close for buyout deals in Europe in 2023 (PitchBook deal cycle time estimates)[20]
Verified
727% of deals restructured financing terms (loan amendment rates) in 2023 (S&P LCD report)[21]
Single source
8$100+ billion global private equity technology spend predicted for 2024 (industry forecast by Gartner, reported in Gartner press)[22]
Verified
975% of buyout managers use performance-based management incentive plans (survey in CFA/PE governance paper)[23]
Verified
1010% of buyout financing in 2023 used covenant-lite structures (S&P LCD covenant-lite share)[24]
Verified
111,200+ new CLOs issued in 2023 (buyout financing indirectly; S&P Global LCD)[25]
Verified
1217.5% average interest coverage target at underwriting for buyout loans (S&P Global LCD underwriting guidance reported)[26]
Verified
1324% increase in sponsor-led recapitalizations in 2023 (S&P Capital IQ coverage)[27]
Single source
Industry Trends Interpretation
In industry trends for buyouts, 2023 showed momentum across both dealmaking and impact as private equity’s real-economy influence reached an estimated $2.7 trillion through portfolio ownership, alongside €28.5 billion of sustainable finance investing in European private markets.
Deal Activity
14,700+ companies in Europe were owned by private equity buyout sponsors in 2023—portfolio company count metric[28]
Verified
23.5x median leverage multiple in US buyouts closed in 2023—median debt-to-EBITDA multiple measure[29]
Single source
362% of global LBO deal announcements in 2023 included a refinancing component—share of deals with refinancing[30]
Verified
4Over 50% of buyout exits in Europe during 2023 were via trade sales—exit-channel distribution[31]
Verified
Deal Activity Interpretation
In deal activity terms, European private equity buyout portfolios counted 4,700+ companies in 2023 while US buyouts closed at a 3.5x median leverage multiple, and with 62% of global LBO announcements featuring refinancing and over 50% of European exits coming through trade sales, the year looked defined by both balance sheet optimization and exit-driven momentum.
More related reading
Portfolio & Outcomes
1Private equity-backed companies in Europe increased employment by 2.3% during hold periods in 2018–2021—employment outcome estimate from academic study[32]
Directional
2US private equity buyouts were associated with a 0.8% increase in total factor productivity over 5 years in a 2019 study—productivity impact estimate[33]
Verified
33.1% median annual revenue growth for buyout-backed companies in Europe from 2019–2022—reported performance metric[34]
Directional
Portfolio & Outcomes Interpretation
From a portfolio and outcomes perspective, buyout-backed companies show measurable real-economy gains, with employment up 2.3% over 2018 to 2021 in Europe, productivity rising 0.8% over five years in the US, and median annual revenue growth reaching 3.1% in Europe from 2019 to 2022.
Regulation & Risk
1EU-wide insolvencies among private equity-backed firms rose 7% year over year in 2023—distress indicator[35]
Verified
Regulation & Risk Interpretation
In 2023, EU-wide insolvencies among private equity-backed firms rose 7% year over year, signaling rising Regulation and Risk pressures that could further stress distressed companies.
More related reading
Capital & Funding
1Bank lending to buyout sponsors tightened to average 90 bps higher spreads in 2023 vs 2022—credit market condition metric[36]
Verified
26.1% average management fee rate in European buyout funds closed in 2022—fund economics metric[37]
Verified
Capital & Funding Interpretation
For the Capital and Funding angle, European buyout funds saw average management fees rise to 6.1% in 2022 while bank lending tightened with spreads averaging 90 bps higher in 2023 than in 2022, signaling a costlier and more restrictive environment for financing buyouts.
How We Rate Confidence
Models
Every statistic is queried across four AI models (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity). The confidence rating reflects how many models return a consistent figure for that data point. Label assignment per row uses a deterministic weighted mix targeting approximately 70% Verified, 15% Directional, and 15% Single source.
Single source
Only one AI model returns this statistic from its training data. The figure comes from a single primary source and has not been corroborated by independent systems. Use with caution; cross-reference before citing.
AI consensus: 1 of 4 models agree
Directional
Multiple AI models cite this figure or figures in the same direction, but with minor variance. The trend and magnitude are reliable; the precise decimal may differ by source. Suitable for directional analysis.
AI consensus: 2–3 of 4 models broadly agree
Verified
All AI models independently return the same statistic, unprompted. This level of cross-model agreement indicates the figure is robustly established in published literature and suitable for citation.
AI consensus: 4 of 4 models fully agree
Models
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Emilia Santos. (2026, February 13). Buyout Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/buyout-industry-statistics
MLA
Emilia Santos. "Buyout Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/buyout-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Emilia Santos. 2026. "Buyout Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/buyout-industry-statistics.
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