Key Takeaways
- In 2022, the German chemical industry achieved a total production value of 232.5 billion euros
- Chemical production in Germany declined by 6.2% in 2022 compared to 2021
- Specialty chemicals accounted for 38% of total German chemical production in 2022
- In 2022, the German chemical industry employed 554,000 people directly
- Chemical sector added 12,000 jobs in R&D between 2015 and 2022
- Women make up 28% of the chemical workforce in Germany in 2023
- Germany's chemical exports reached 106 billion euros in 2022
- Chemical imports to Germany totaled 85 billion euros in 2022
- Chemical trade surplus was 21 billion euros in 2022
- Total chemical industry sales in Germany were 225 billion euros in 2022
- EBITDA margin for chemical firms averaged 12.4% in 2022
- Investments in the chemical sector totaled 12.8 billion euros in 2022
- German chemical industry R&D spending increased to 9.1 billion euros in 2023
- 6.4% of sales invested in R&D in 2022, highest in manufacturing
- 110,000 R&D employees in chemicals in 2022
Despite broad declines, Germany's specialized chemical industry remained resilient and profitable in 2022.
Economic Impact
- Chemical industry contributes 6.5% to Germany's GDP in 2022
- Value added by chemicals: 95 billion euros in 2022
- Supplier industries supported: 2.5 million jobs indirectly in 2022
- Export contribution to GDP from chemicals: 2.1% in 2022
- Tax revenue generated: 28 billion euros in 2022
- Regional GDP share in NRW: 12% from chemicals in 2022
- Cluster effect: 1 euro chemical sales creates 2.8 euros downstream value
- Energy consumption share: 7% of Germany's total in 2022
- SME share in chemical sector: 2,200 firms, 25% of sales in 2022
- Investment multiplier: 1:3 for chemical capex in 2022
- Trade balance contribution: 1.5% of national surplus in 2022
- Chemical intensity in manufacturing: 15% of inputs in 2022
- Automotive supplier value from chemicals: 40 billion euros in 2022
- Construction sector chemicals use: 25 billion euros in 2022
- Agri-chemical impact on farm output: +20% productivity gain
- Health sector reliance: 80% of drugs contain German chemicals in 2022
- Sustainability investments create 50,000 green jobs by 2030 projection
- Digital transformation adds 10 billion euros value by 2025 forecast
- Pandemic resilience: chemicals supplied 95% of PPE needs in 2020-2022
Economic Impact Interpretation
Employment Statistics
- In 2022, the German chemical industry employed 554,000 people directly
- Chemical sector added 12,000 jobs in R&D between 2015 and 2022
- Women make up 28% of the chemical workforce in Germany in 2023
- Average salary in German chemical industry was 72,500 euros gross in 2022
- 45% of chemical employees have university degrees in 2022
- Apprenticeships in chemicals numbered 28,000 in 2022
- Chemical industry unemployment rate was 2.1% in 2022, below national average
- 112,000 people employed in pharmaceuticals subsector in 2022
- Plastics industry employs 217,000 in Germany in 2022
- Rubber sector workforce was 85,000 in 2021
- Paints and coatings employ 45,000 people in 2022
- 18% of chemical jobs are in Eastern Germany in 2022
- STEM graduates in chemicals rose 15% from 2018-2022
- Part-time employment in chemicals is 22% of workforce in 2023
- Foreign workers comprise 22% of chemical employees in 2022
- Age group 30-50 years holds 55% of chemical jobs in 2022
- R&D staff in chemicals totals 110,000 in 2022
- Training investment per employee was 1,850 euros in 2022
- Job openings in chemicals averaged 25,000 annually 2021-2023
- Shift workers make up 35% of production staff in 2022
- Digital skills training covered 40% of workforce in 2023
- Union membership in chemicals is 65% in 2022
- Sick leave rate was 4.2% in chemical industry 2022
- Overtime hours averaged 120 per employee yearly in 2022
- New hires in 2022 totaled 48,000 in chemicals
- Turnover rate in chemical firms was 5.8% in 2022
- Disability employment quota met at 6.1% in 2022
Employment Statistics Interpretation
Financial Performance
- Total chemical industry sales in Germany were 225 billion euros in 2022
- EBITDA margin for chemical firms averaged 12.4% in 2022
- Investments in the chemical sector totaled 12.8 billion euros in 2022
- R&D expenditure reached 8.9 billion euros in 2022 (4.0% of sales)
- Profit before tax in chemicals: 18.5 billion euros in 2022
- BASF SE revenue from chemicals: 68 billion euros in 2022
- Bayer AG chemical sales: 12.4 billion euros in 2022
- Evonik Industries turnover: 18.9 billion euros in 2022
- Covestro revenue: 17.8 billion euros in 2022
- LANXESS sales: 10.1 billion euros in 2022
- Chemical industry tax contributions: 25 billion euros in 2022
- Equity ratio in chemical companies: 42% average in 2022
- Cost of materials share of sales: 58% in 2022
- Personnel costs per employee: 72,500 euros in 2022
- Depreciation ratio: 4.2% of sales in 2022
- Sales per employee: 406,000 euros in 2022
- Return on capital employed (ROCE): 11.8% in 2022
- Net financial debt: 45 billion euros sector-wide in 2022
- Dividend payouts by top chemical firms: 5.2 billion euros in 2022
- Price increase in chemical sales: 18.5% in 2022
- Volume decline impact on sales: -10% in 2022
- Specialty chemicals sales share: 36% of total in 2022
- Commodity chemicals sales: 110 billion euros in 2022
- Energy costs share rose to 8% of total costs in 2022
Financial Performance Interpretation
Production Statistics
- In 2022, the German chemical industry achieved a total production value of 232.5 billion euros
- Chemical production in Germany declined by 6.2% in 2022 compared to 2021
- Specialty chemicals accounted for 38% of total German chemical production in 2022
- Germany produced 55.6 million tons of chemicals in 2021
- Basic chemicals production volume in Germany reached 26.3 million tons in 2022
- Pharmaceuticals production in the chemical sector grew by 4.1% in 2022 to 52 billion euros
- Polymer production in Germany totaled 14.8 million tons in 2021
- Inorganic basic chemicals output was 9.2 million tons in 2022
- German chemical industry capacity utilization rate was 78% in 2022
- Petrochemicals production declined by 8.5% in 2022
- In Q1 2023, chemical production fell 12.4% year-over-year
- Man-made fibers production volume was 1.1 million tons in 2021
- Explosives and pyrotechnics output reached 0.3 million tons in 2022
- Paints and varnishes production value was 12.4 billion euros in 2022
- Fertilizers production in Germany was 5.8 million tons in 2021
- Detergents production volume stood at 2.4 million tons in 2022
- The chemical industry produced 4.2 million tons of adhesives in 2021
- Rubber products output value reached 18.7 billion euros in 2022
- Plastic primary forms production was 15.2 million tons in 2022
- In 2020, chemical production index was 102.5 (2015=100)
- Bio-based chemicals production share was 12% in 2022
- Hydrogen production for chemicals reached 2.1 million tons in 2022
- Ammonia production volume was 3.5 million tons in 2021
- Ethylene production capacity in Germany is 4.8 million tons annually
- Propylene output was 3.2 million tons in 2022
- Benzene production reached 2.9 million tons in 2021
- Polyethylene production volume was 4.1 million tons in 2022
- Polypropylene output stood at 3.7 million tons in 2021
- PVC production in Germany was 1.8 million tons in 2022
- Polystyrene production volume reached 1.4 million tons in 2021
Production Statistics Interpretation
R&D Statistics
- German chemical industry R&D spending increased to 9.1 billion euros in 2023
- 6.4% of sales invested in R&D in 2022, highest in manufacturing
- 110,000 R&D employees in chemicals in 2022
- Patents filed by German chemical firms: 4,200 in 2022
- EU-funded chemical projects: 1.2 billion euros in Horizon 2020-2022
- 25% of chemical R&D focuses on sustainability in 2023
- Digitalization R&D investments: 1.8 billion euros in 2022
- Biotech R&D in chemicals: 2.1 billion euros annually
- New products from R&D: 18% of sales in 2022
- University collaborations: 450 active in 2022
- CO2 reduction projects funded: 500 million euros in 2022
- AI applications in chemical R&D piloted by 40% of firms in 2023
- Battery chemicals R&D spend: 800 million euros in 2022
- Hydrogen technology patents: 350 from German chemicals in 2022
- Circular economy R&D projects: 120 ongoing in 2023
- Pharma R&D in Germany: 7.5 billion euros in 2022
- Material science innovations: 1,200 publications from chemical R&D in 2022
- Venture capital in chemical startups: 450 million euros in 2022
- Lab space for R&D: 15 million sqm in 2022
- Female researchers in chemical R&D: 32% in 2023
- Open innovation platforms used by 65% of firms in 2022
- Simulation software R&D spend: 300 million euros in 2022
- Climate-neutral processes R&D: 1.5 billion euros targeted by 2030
R&D Statistics Interpretation
Trade Statistics
- Germany's chemical exports reached 106 billion euros in 2022
- Chemical imports to Germany totaled 85 billion euros in 2022
- Chemical trade surplus was 21 billion euros in 2022
- Top export destination for chemicals: USA with 12.5 billion euros in 2022
- China imported 11.2 billion euros of German chemicals in 2022
- EU countries took 62% of German chemical exports in 2022
- Plastics exports from Germany: 28 billion euros in 2022
- Pharmaceutical exports hit 72 billion euros in 2022
- Organic chemicals export value was 45 billion euros in 2022
- Inorganic chemicals exports: 8.7 billion euros in 2022
- Chemical exports to Netherlands: 10.4 billion euros in 2022
- Exports of fertilizers from Germany: 4.2 billion euros in 2021
- Paints exports reached 5.6 billion euros in 2022
- Rubber products exports: 12.3 billion euros in 2022
- Chemical export growth to Asia was 3.2% in 2022 despite global decline
- US market share of German chemicals exports rose to 12% in 2022
- Imports from China: 18 billion euros in chemicals 2022
- Trade volume with France in chemicals: 15.8 billion euros in 2022
- Specialty chemicals exports grew 2.1% to 40 billion euros in 2022
- Export price index for chemicals rose 22% in 2022
- Chemical imports from USA: 7.4 billion euros in 2022
- Italy imported 8.9 billion euros of German chemicals in 2022
- Chemical exports via sea freight: 55% of total volume in 2022
- Trade balance in pharmaceuticals: +55 billion euros in 2022
- UK's chemical imports from Germany: 6.7 billion euros post-Brexit 2022
Trade Statistics Interpretation
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