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KNOWLEDGE FOR POLICY

Knowledge Centre for Bioeconomy

We enhance the knowledge base for policymaking on the bioeconomy.

Topic / Tool | Last updated: 24 Jun 2024

Economy

Discover how the biomass producing and converting sectors contribute to the economy of the EU and its Member States!

Bioeconomy

Brief me

Contribution of the bioeconomy to jobs and growth in the EU.

  • In 2021, the biomass producing and converting sectors of the EU economy generated up to EUR 728 billion in value added in the European Union, representing approximately 5.0% of the EU GDP.
  • It created 17.2 million jobs, accounting for 8.2% of total EU employment. These facts evinces that the bioeconomy sectors could demonstrate higher resilience than the overall economy in the context of the COVID-19 crisis, especially in terms of value added.
  • Between 2012 and 2021, the value added in the bioeconomy sectors in real terms grew by 39 %, mainly driven by the bio-based manufacturing sectors.
  • However, there was a decrease of 1.3 million jobs in the same period, primarily due to the reduction in agricultural employment; by contrast, some bio-based industries increased their employment levels during the period analysed.
  • The structure of the EU bioeconomy varies across Member States. Generally, Eastern and Southern European countries have higher shares of bio-based sectors over GDP and total employment, due to their specialisation in primary sectors.

 

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Brief on jobs and growth in the EU bioeconomy 2012-2021
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