| Table 5.1 Exports and imports by economic sector 2016 | ||||
| Sector | Exports | Imports | ||
| €million | €million | |||
| Value | % of total | Value | % of total | |
| Agri/food | 17,220 | 15 | 3,177 | 4 |
| Pharmaceuticals | 52,038 | 44 | 9,268 | 13 |
| Other manufacturing and construction | 29,538 | 25 | 12,321 | 17 |
| Wholesale/retail | 8,396 | 7 | 24,561 | 34 |
| Services/other | 8,777 | 7 | 21,106 | 29 |
| Unknown | 2,261 | 2 | 2,771 | 4 |
| Total | 118,230 | 100 | 73,204 | 100 |
Pharmaceutical sector is the biggest exporter
The pharmaceutical sector accounted for nearly half (44%) of the total value of exports in 2016, comprising €52 billion. Manufacturing exports were worth €29.5 billion, and exports from the agri-food sector were €17.2 billion, or 15% of total exports.
The retail and wholesale sector was the largest importer in 2016, accounting for €24.5 billion (34% of the total) of goods imported. The services sector, which includes aircraft leasing companies, imported €21.1 billion (29%) of goods.
| Sector | Exports by NACE sector |
|---|---|
| Agri/food | 14.5651126461974 |
| Pharmaceuticals | 44.0137161249426 |
| Other manufacturing and construction | 24.9830872901836 |
| Wholesale/ retail | 7.10170384321936 |
| Services/ other | 7.42403284329284 |
| Unknown | 1.91234725216426 |
| Sector | Percentage of imports |
|---|---|
| Agri/food | 4.34038645805881 |
| Pharmaceuticals | 12.6609516609382 |
| Other manufacturing and construction | 16.8313875711062 |
| Wholesale/ retail | 33.5508760485408 |
| Services/ other | 28.8313701709914 |
| Unknown | 3.78502809036466 |
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