The number of managers in Germany was reported to be approximately one in twenty-three employed individuals. According to data made public by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) on Wednesday, referring to statistics from the European statistical agency Eurostat, 4.4 percent of all employees in Germany held leadership positions in 2025. This figure translates to 1.9 million executives. This percentage is slightly lower than the 4.5 percent of employees who held management roles in 2015, a decade earlier. Leadership positions encompass roles such as the management of small companies, area or general management in larger corporations, and senior positions within the administrative civil service.
The proportion of employed individuals in leadership roles varies significantly by industry. The highest representation was found in the catering industry, where 11.5 percent of employees were in management. This might be attributed to the specific structure of the catering sector, which features many small businesses and consequently a lower average number of employees per manager. Following closely, the property and housing sector recorded 7.6 percent, while the information and communication area reported 7.4 percent.
The sectors of construction, trade, and motor vehicle repair and maintenance exhibited a percentage above the national average, registering 5.4 percent. In the manufacturing industry, which is the most labor-intensive sector, 5.2 percent of employees held leadership positions. Conversely, the health and social care sector showed the lowest rate at 1.8 percent. The public administration sector also remained below average, at 2.2 percent. Finally, education and teaching reported 2.3 percent of employees in managerial roles.
When comparing Germany to other member states of the European Union (EU), the country’s rate falls below the EU average. In 2025, the leadership rate across the entire EU was 5.4 percent; this figure has risen slightly from 5.2 percent over the past ten years. Malta recorded the highest proportion of executives in 2025 at 11.4 percent, followed by Latvia (10.1 percent) and Lithuania (9.9 percent). The lowest rates were found in Romania (2.7 percent), Greece (3.0 percent), and Denmark (3.1 percent).
Employees in roles with leadership functions earn significantly higher incomes than their counterparts without management duties. As of April 2025, the median gross monthly income for a full-time executive in Germany was €7,024 (excluding special payments). For comparison, the average monthly salary of all full-time employees was €4,123 gross. Furthermore, a disparity exists based on gender; full-time executives working in leadership positions earn €5,806, while male executives in similar positions earn €7,451.
