German craft enterprises generated a substantial €766 billion in revenue throughout 2023, according to data released by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis). This figure represents a 6.4% increase compared to the previous year, slightly exceeding the rise in consumer prices (+5.9%).
Despite the revenue surge, the number of craft enterprises experienced a slight decline, decreasing by 0.4% to approximately 568,000. The workforce within the craft sector remained largely stable, experiencing a minimal change of -0.1% year-on-year, totaling around 5.4 million individuals. This stability resulted from a decrease of 0.3% in the number of employees subject to social insurance contributions, totaling 4.1 million, offset by an increase of 1.7% in the number of those receiving lower remuneration, reaching 646,000.
Analysis by business size revealed a more pronounced revenue increase of +9.3% for large craft enterprises-those employing 50 or more individuals-compared to a +3.9% rise for smaller businesses. Large enterprises also reported a workforce expansion of 1.5%, contrasting with a 1.1% decline in employment at smaller firms.
Craft enterprises contribute considerably to the German economy, accounting for 7.6% of total economic output in 2023, a 0.2 percentage point increase from the prior year. Within the national workforce, 12.8% of all individuals subject to social insurance contributions were employed in the craft sector. Furthermore, craft enterprises comprise 16.4% of all businesses operating in Germany.
The construction sector demonstrates a particularly strong dependence on craft enterprises, with nearly two-thirds (66.2%) of all businesses in this industry classified as craft enterprises. Within the broader craft sector and specifically within the construction industry, the carpentry trade boasts the largest presence, both in terms of the number of enterprises, employed individuals and revenue generated. Carpentry businesses, numbering 218,000, employed 1.5 million individuals and achieved a revenue of €220 billion in 2023. Despite a decline of 1.4% in the number of carpentry enterprises, the number of individuals employed and the overall revenue increased by 0.4% and 8.2% respectively.
Employment increases were only observed in the automotive sector (+0.8%), carpentry (+0.4%) and trades serving commercial needs (+0.3%). Other sectors experienced contractions, most notably in the heavy construction sector (-1.5%).
Revenue performance varied significantly across different trades. The automotive sector demonstrated the highest growth (+9.8%), followed by carpentry (+8.2%) and the health sector (+7.2%). Conversely, the heavy construction sector registered a slight revenue decline (-0.2%).
