EU country ranking
In 2024, the Dutch research industry generated €3,536 million in net turnover, ahead of Germany with €2,876 million, France with €2,056 million and Italy with €1,345 million, according to Eurostat. Together, the Netherlands and Germany accounted for over a third of the EU-27 total.
The Dutch lead is striking given the size of the country. With about 4% of the EU's population in 2025, according to the World Bank, the Netherlands produced roughly 21% of the EU-27's research turnover in 2024. It also had the largest number of research enterprises, 5,641, ahead of Italy with 5,290.
Bulgaria ranked fifteenth by turnover, with €183 million, just behind Austria at €199 million, and twelfth by number of enterprises, with 591 firms. Its share of EU-27 research turnover was about 1.1% in 2024, against about 1.4% of the EU's population in 2025.
Trend 2021–2024
Since 2021, the three markets have moved in different directions, according to Eurostat. Bulgaria's research industry grew fastest: net turnover rose from €127.4 million in 2021 to €182.8 million in 2024, an increase of about 43%, including a rise of about 20% between 2023 and 2024 alone. The number of enterprises increased from 563 to 591, while employment stayed broadly flat, at 3,698 persons in 2021 and 3,674 in 2024.
The Dutch industry peaked in 2023. Turnover went from €3,100.6 million in 2021 to €4,145.8 million in 2023, then fell to €3,536.1 million in 2024, still about 14% above the 2021 level. The number of enterprises declined from 6,163 to 5,641 over the period, and employment from 17,532 to 16,510.
Across the EU-27, turnover rose from €15,000.0 million in 2021, a figure Eurostat publishes rounded, to €17,046.9 million in 2024, while the number of enterprises grew from 33,040 to 35,223 and employment edged down from 126,900 to 125,325.
Productivity
Turnover per person employed differs even more. In 2024, according to Eurostat, it reached €214.2 thousand in the Netherlands, €136.0 thousand in the EU-27 and €49.8 thousand in Bulgaria. Each person employed in Dutch research therefore generated about 4.3 times the turnover of one in Bulgaria.
The Bulgarian figure has risen fastest, from €34.5 thousand in 2021, an increase of about 44%, compared with about 21% in the Netherlands and about 15% in the EU-27. Part of the gap reflects general price levels: Eurostat's 2024 price level index for GDP was 61.4 in Bulgaria and 117.2 in the Netherlands, with the EU-27 at 100. The structure of the industry differs too. On Eurostat's 2024 figures, Bulgarian research firms employed about six people on average and Dutch firms about three, which points to a Dutch sector made up largely of very small firms.
What it means for buyers
For a buyer of research, these figures have three practical implications.
First, the Netherlands is Europe's largest research market by turnover and by number of firms. Clients there can choose among many suppliers, and a company entering the Dutch market should assume that its local competitors have ready access to research on their customers.
Second, Bulgaria's research industry is small but growing quickly, with turnover up about 43% between 2021 and 2024. Local capacity exists for surveys, focus groups and audits, so Bulgaria can be included in a multi-country study with fieldwork on the ground rather than remote methods alone.
Third, productivity figures are not quality figures. Lower turnover per employee reflects lower price levels and a different industry structure, not weaker research. What matters for a buyer is the method, the sample and the checks, set out in our methodology, and a proposal that explains them. Our article on why the Netherlands leads Europe's research industry explores the figures in more depth.
Frequently asked questions
What does NACE M73.2 cover?
NACE M73.2 is the EU statistical classification for market research and public opinion polling. It covers enterprises whose main activity is investigating market potential, product acceptance, buying habits and consumer opinion, as well as opinion polls on political, economic and social issues. Advertising agencies and management consultancies are classified separately, so the figures do not include research carried out within those firms.
Why is the Dutch research industry so large?
The statistics show its size, not its causes. Two features visible in our data are consistent with a large research market: high incomes, with GDP per capita of US$73,684 in 2025 according to the World Bank, and near-universal daily internet use, 98.4% in 2025 according to Eurostat, which makes online fieldwork easy to run. The sector also consists of many small firms, with about three people employed per enterprise in 2024.
Why did Dutch turnover fall in 2024?
Eurostat's figures show the fall but not the reasons. Turnover dropped from €4,145.8 million in 2023 to €3,536.1 million in 2024, while employment fell from 18,201 to 16,510. Annual business statistics can move with a few large contracts, reclassifications of enterprises or revisions, so a single year should be read with caution until later releases confirm the trend.
Does a lower turnover per employee mean lower-quality research?
No. Turnover per employee reflects price levels, wages and the mix of services across a whole country's industry, not the standard of any particular study. Quality depends on the method, the sample, the fieldwork controls and the analysis. To see what a specific study would involve, describe your question on our pricing page and request a proposal.