This release is part of the CSO’s Business in Ireland Series which provides comprehensive insight and information to aid users in understanding the detailed structure, economic activity, and performance of businesses in Ireland in 2022 and over time.
The CSO welcomes feedback from users on this initiative, which we will continue to review and develop. Please contact us at enterprise_stats@cso.ie.
In 2022, there were 389,654 enterprises in the Irish business economy, of which almost two-thirds (62%) were in the Services sector.
There were almost 2.3 million people employed in the Irish business economy in 2022 of which 68% had fewer than 250 employees (see Business in Ireland 2022 - Insights on the Lifecycle of Businesses).
In 2022, 50 enterprises were responsible for 53% of Gross Value Added but just 3% of people employed.
Labour productivity (Gross Value Added per person employed) was €185,023.
The Services sector, which includes among others, Accommodation, Food Service, and Real Estate, accounted for 47% of GVA in Ireland’s business economy.
The average wage per person employed was €42,474, with industry sector employees earning the highest average wage at €52,708.
Total business costs (including fuel & energy, wages & salaries, and materials) amounted to €1,033bn, of which purchases accounted for 89% (€921bn).
The Structural Business Economy comprises NACE sectors B to S (excluding O and S94), i.e. Industry (B-E), Construction (F), Distribution (G), and Services H-S (excl. O and S94). See background notes.
In 2022 there were 389,654 active enterprises. The Services sector accounted for the largest proportion of these enterprises at 61.9%, followed by Construction (19.9%), Distribution (12.6%), and Industry (5.5%).
There were 2,292,598 people employed in these four sectors in 2022. The Services sector employed 1,390,389 people, compared with 413,595 in Distribution, 290,505 in Industry and 198,109 people in Construction.
| Main indicators for all business sectors, 2022 | |||||||||||
| Industry | Construction | Distribution | Services | Total1 | |||||||
| Number | |||||||||||
| Active enterprises | 21,451 | 77,676 | 49,253 | 241,274 | 389,654 | ||||||
| Persons employed2 | 290,505 | 198,109 | 413,595 | 1,390,389 | 2,292,598 | ||||||
| Average persons employed per enterprise | 13.5 | 2.6 | 8.4 | 5.8 | 5.9 | ||||||
| €million | |||||||||||
| Turnover | 430,088 | 45,908 | 213,790 | 598,943 | 1,288,729 | ||||||
| Production value | 331,901 | 46,233 | 56,554 | 509,513 | 944,202 | ||||||
| Gross value added (GVA) | 180,024 | 12,296 | 31,523 | 200,340 | 424,182 | ||||||
| of which: | Gross operating surplus (GOS) | 163,266 | 5,305 | 15,941 | 132,330 | 316,841 | |||||
| Personnel costs | 16,758 | 6,991 | 15,582 | 68,010 | 107,341 | ||||||
| Source: CSO Ireland | |||||||||||
| 1Totals may differ due to rounding. | |||||||||||
| 2Persons employed includes employees, proprietors, and family members. | |||||||||||
The performance of business in Ireland in 2022 was examined using a number of performance indicators.
Labour productivity, personnel costs as a percentage of Gross Value Added (GVA), and enterprise profitability were analysed. The contribution of the 50 largest enterprises, both in terms of GVA and employment were also examined.
GVA at factor cost is the gross income from operating activities after adjusting for operating subsidies and indirect taxes. GVA represents the value of the goods and services produced, in this case, in the Industry, Construction, Distribution, and Services sectors. A simple measure of productivity is to analyse GVA by the number of persons employed. The relatively large multinational sector in Ireland and the consequent assignment of value added to the Irish economy, can make the interpretation of indicators like GVA per person employed more difficult.
In 2022, GVA per person employed averaged €185,023 for all enterprises in Industry, Construction, Distribution, and Services sectors combined.
Enterprises in Industry reported the largest GVA per person employed at €619,693. In the Services sector, the average GVA per person employed was €144,089. The Distribution sector reported an average GVA per person employed of €76,217 while in the Construction sector, the average GVA per person employed was €62,067.
| X-axis label | 2022 |
|---|---|
| Industry | 619693 |
| Construction | 62067 |
| Distribution | 76217 |
| Services | 144089 |
| Total Business Economy | 185023 |
In 2022, personnel costs accounted for 25.3% of GVA across all enterprises. Enterprises in Industry paid 9.3% of GVA in personnel costs compared with 56.9% for Construction enterprises. The Distribution sector paid almost half of GVA in personnel costs at 49.4% while Services enterprises paid more than a third at 33.9%.
| X-axis label | 2022 |
|---|---|
| Industry | 9.3 |
| Construction | 56.9 |
| Distribution | 49.4 |
| Services | 33.9 |
| Total Business Economy | 25.3 |
Gross operating surplus (GOS) is the surplus generated by operating activities after the labour factor input has been recompensed. In 2022, for all enterprises in the Irish business economy, 24.6% of turnover was reported as GOS. The highest rate of GOS as a percentage of turnover for all enterprises was reported by enterprises in Industry (38.0%).
| X-axis label | 2022 |
|---|---|
| Industry | 38 |
| Construction | 11.6 |
| Distribution | 7.5 |
| Services | 22.1 |
| Total Business Economy | 24.6 |
In 2022, the 50 largest enterprises by GVA in Industry, Construction, Distribution, and Services accounted for 44.1% of total turnover, 53.4% of total GVA and 77.2% of GOS. These Top 50 enterprises accounted for only 3.0% of all persons employed. The 50 largest enterprises by employment accounted for 29.7% of total turnover, 25.0% of total GVA, and 32.6% of GOS.
The Industry sector stands out in terms of its reliance upon a small number of high value-added enterprises. The 50 largest enterprises by GVA in Industry accounted for 78.1% of total turnover, 86.6% of total GVA, and 92.6% of GOS.
| X-axis label | Top 50 by GVA | Top 50 by employment |
|---|---|---|
| Gross operating surplus | 77.2 | 32.6 |
| Gross value added | 53.4 | 25 |
| Turnover | 44.1 | 29.7 |
In 2022, the average wage per person employed was €42,474. People employed in the Industry sector enjoyed the highest sectoral wage in Ireland in 2022 at €52,708 per person employed. In contrast, those employed in the Construction sector had the lowest wage at €31,342 per person employed.
| X-axis label | Wages & salaries per person employed |
|---|---|
| Industry | 52708 |
| Construction | 31342 |
| Distribution | 34395 |
| Services | 44324 |
| Total Business Economy | 42474 |
Wages & salaries accounted for 90.7% of personnel costs for the combined business sectors Industry, Construction, Distribution, and Services in 2022.
| X-axis label | Wages & salaries | Social security costs |
|---|---|---|
| Industry | 91.4 | 8.6 |
| Construction | 88.8 | 11.2 |
| Distribution | 91.3 | 8.7 |
| Services | 90.6 | 9.4 |
| Total Business Economy | 90.7 | 9.3 |
In 2022, the Services sector accounted for almost two-thirds (63.3%) of all Wages & salaries paid in Ireland's business economy. Ireland's Industry and Distribution sectors accounted for 15.7% and 14.6% respectively. The Construction sector's share of total Wages & salaries paid in Ireland in 2022 was 6.4%.
| For long labels below use to display on multiple lines | Wages and salaries |
|---|---|
| Construction | 6.4 |
| Distribution | 14.6 |
| Services | 63.3 |
| Industry | 15.7 |
Total business costs in Ireland in 2022 amounted to €1,033.1 billion, of which purchases accounted for 89.2% (€921.1 billion). The Services sector had the largest share of total costs at (47.1%), followed by Industry (29.4%), Distribution (19.5%), and Construction (4.0%).
For information on wholesale prices, please see the Wholesale Price Index.
| For long labels below use to display on multiple lines | Total business costs |
|---|---|
| Industry | 29.4 |
| Construction | 4 |
| Distribution | 19.5 |
| Services | 47.1 |
Comprehensive insight and information on businesses in Ireland
Learn about our data and confidentiality safeguards, and the steps we take to produce statistics that can be trusted by all.
Statistician's Comment
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has today (30 April 2024) published Business in Ireland 2022 – Insights on Economic Activity and Performance.
Business in Ireland is a thematic release outlining the key statistics for the Irish business economy in 2022.
This release draws on data from the Structural Business Surveys, Business Demography, and Foreign Affiliate Statistics to analyse the number of enterprises, employment, and performance across the five sectors of Industry, Construction, Distribution, Services, and Financial & Insurance.
Commenting on the release, Eoghan Gethings, Statistician in the Enterprise Statistics Division, said: "There were 389,654 active enterprises in the Irish business economy in 2022, employing 2,292,598 people.
Total turnover for the business economy was €1,289 billion. Services enterprises represented 46% of this total, while enterprises in Industry accounted for 33%.
Gross Value Added (GVA) for the business economy was €424 billion, of which Gross Operating Surplus (GOS) was €317 billion and personnel costs were €107 billion.
Top 50 enterprises
The 50 largest enterprises in the business economy by GVA accounted for 44% of total turnover, 53% of total GVA, and 77% of GOS. However, these enterprises represented just 3% of people employed. The 50 largest enterprises in Industry accounted for 93% of GOS in the sector and 22% of people employed.
Wages & Salaries
Average annual Wages & Salaries per person employed was €42,474. The Industry sector had the highest average Wages & Salaries per person employed at €52,708 followed by Services at €44,324. The Services sector accounted for almost two-thirds (63%) of all Wages & Salaries in the Irish business economy.
Total Purchases, Employment, and Turnover
Total purchases amounted to €921 billion in 2022, of which the Services sector accounted for 45%, followed by Industry at 31% of total purchases, Distribution at 20%, while Construction accounted for 4%."