Data / Rankings / Employment in industry / EU countries

EU countries by employment in industry

Czechia had the highest employment in industry of 27 EU countries in 2021, at 36.8%. Luxembourg had the lowest, at 10%. The median was 24.6%. Source: the World Bank.

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Highest36.8Czechia
Lowest10Luxembourg
Median24.627 EU countries

Map of EU countries, 2021

Austria: 25.6 %Belgium: 19.8 %Bulgaria: 30 %Cyprus: 17.9 %Czechia: 36.8 %Germany: 27.4 %Denmark: 19.4 %Estonia: 29 %Spain: 20.7 %Finland: 21.9 %France: 19.5 %Greece: 15.3 %Croatia: 28.5 %Hungary: 31.4 %Ireland: 19.1 %Italy: 26.6 %Lithuania: 26.3 %Luxembourg: 10 %Latvia: 24.2 %Malta: 18.3 %Netherlands: 14.1 %Poland: 30.7 %Portugal: 24.6 %Romania: 32.9 %Sweden: 18.1 %Slovenia: 30 %Slovakia: 36.5 %
  • Under 18
  • 18 to 21
  • 21 to 26
  • 26 to 30
  • 30 and over
%, 2021. Source: World Bank (modelled estimate), Employment in industry (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate) (SL.IND.EMPL.ZS). Boundaries: Natural Earth (public domain).

All EU countries, 2021

Czechia: 36.8 %Czechia36.8Slovakia: 36.5 %Slovakia36.5Romania: 32.9 %Romania32.9Hungary: 31.4 %Hungary31.4Poland: 30.7 %Poland30.7Slovenia: 30 %Slovenia30Bulgaria: 30 %Bulgaria30Estonia: 29 %Estonia29Croatia: 28.5 %Croatia28.5Germany: 27.4 %Germany27.4Italy: 26.6 %Italy26.6Lithuania: 26.3 %Lithuania26.3Austria: 25.6 %Austria25.6Portugal: 24.6 %Portugal24.6Latvia: 24.2 %Latvia24.2Finland: 21.9 %Finland21.9Spain: 20.7 %Spain20.7Belgium: 19.8 %Belgium19.8France: 19.5 %France19.5Denmark: 19.4 %Denmark19.4Ireland: 19.1 %Ireland19.1Malta: 18.3 %Malta18.3Sweden: 18.1 %Sweden18.1Cyprus: 17.9 %Cyprus17.9Greece: 15.3 %Greece15.3Netherlands: 14.1 %Netherlands14.1Luxembourg: 10 %Luxembourg10Czechia: 36.8 %Czechia36.8Slovakia: 36.5 %Slovakia36.5Romania: 32.9 %Romania32.9Hungary: 31.4 %Hungary31.4Poland: 30.7 %Poland30.7Slovenia: 30 %Slovenia30Bulgaria: 30 %Bulgaria30Estonia: 29 %Estonia29Croatia: 28.5 %Croatia28.5Germany: 27.4 %Germany27.4Italy: 26.6 %Italy26.6Lithuania: 26.3 %Lithuania26.3Austria: 25.6 %Austria25.6Portugal: 24.6 %Portugal24.6Latvia: 24.2 %Latvia24.2Finland: 21.9 %Finland21.9Spain: 20.7 %Spain20.7Belgium: 19.8 %Belgium19.8France: 19.5 %France19.5Denmark: 19.4 %Denmark19.4Ireland: 19.1 %Ireland19.1Malta: 18.3 %Malta18.3Sweden: 18.1 %Sweden18.1Cyprus: 17.9 %Cyprus17.9Greece: 15.3 %Greece15.3Netherlands: 14.1 %Netherlands14.1Luxembourg: 10 %Luxembourg10
%. Source: World Bank (modelled estimate), Employment in industry (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate) (SL.IND.EMPL.ZS). Retrieved 2026-10-18.

Full ranking

RankEU countries2021 (%)Change on 2020
1Czechia36.8-0.4 pts
2Slovakia36.5-0 pts
3Romania32.9+0.4 pts
4Hungary31.4-0.5 pts
5Poland30.7-1 pts
6Slovenia30-0 pts
7Bulgaria30-0.9 pts
8Estonia29-0.7 pts
9Croatia28.5+0.5 pts
10Germany27.4+0.2 pts
11Italy26.6+0.2 pts
12Lithuania26.3+0.9 pts
13Austria25.6+0.8 pts
14Portugal24.6+0.2 pts
15Latvia24.2+1.4 pts
16Finland21.9+0.8 pts
17Spain20.7-0.1 pts
18Belgium19.8-0.9 pts
19France19.5-0.4 pts
20Denmark19.4+0.5 pts
21Ireland19.1+0.3 pts
22Malta18.3-0.3 pts
23Sweden18.1-0.2 pts
24Cyprus17.9-1.6 pts
25Greece15.3+0.3 pts
26Netherlands14.1-1.6 pts
27Luxembourg10-0.3 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

People employed in mining, manufacturing, construction and utilities (ISIC Rev. 4 sections B to F), as a percentage of total employment. ILO modelled estimates, ages 15 and over.

ILO modelled estimates: model outputs that fill years without a survey, not survey results. The latest year is a nowcast and is revised as surveys arrive. Sectors follow ISIC; where a country counts the armed forces, they are in services.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the EU countries are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

World Bank, World Development Indicators, modelled estimate. Employment in industry (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate) (SL.IND.EMPL.ZS). https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SL.IND.EMPL.ZS. Retrieved 2026-10-18. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

World Bank. (2026). Employment in industry (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate) (SL.IND.EMPL.ZS) (EU countries by employment in industry, 2021) [Data set]. Retrieved October 18, 2026, from https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SL.IND.EMPL.ZS

MLA 9

Employment in industry (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate) (SL.IND.EMPL.ZS), EU countries by employment in industry, 2021. World Bank, 8 Oct. 2026, https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SL.IND.EMPL.ZS. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employment-in-industry/eu-countries?period=2021. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

World Bank. 2026. Employment in industry (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate) (SL.IND.EMPL.ZS). EU countries by employment in industry, 2021. Dataset. Accessed October 18, 2026. https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SL.IND.EMPL.ZS. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employment-in-industry/eu-countries?period=2021.

Harvard

World Bank (2026) Employment in industry (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate) (SL.IND.EMPL.ZS), EU countries by employment in industry, 2021 [Dataset]. Available at: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SL.IND.EMPL.ZS, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/employment-in-industry/eu-countries?period=2021 (Accessed: 18 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{world_eu_countries_by_employment_2021,
  author = {{World Bank}},
  title = {{Employment in industry (\% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate) (SL.IND.EMPL.ZS): EU countries by employment in industry, 2021}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SL.IND.EMPL.ZS},
  urldate = {2026-10-18},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employment-in-industry/eu-countries?period=2021. Publisher attribution: World Bank, World Development Indicators, modelled estimate. Employment in industry (\% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate) (SL.IND.EMPL.ZS). https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SL.IND.EMPL.ZS. Retrieved 2026-10-18. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - World Bank
TI  - Employment in industry (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate) (SL.IND.EMPL.ZS): EU countries by employment in industry, 2021
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/08
PB  - World Bank
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SL.IND.EMPL.ZS
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/employment-in-industry/eu-countries?period=2021
Y2  - 2026/10/18
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employment-in-industry/eu-countries?period=2021.
N1  - Publisher attribution: World Bank, World Development Indicators, modelled estimate. Employment in industry (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate) (SL.IND.EMPL.ZS). https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SL.IND.EMPL.ZS. Retrieved 2026-10-18. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
ER  -
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Questions

Which EU country has the highest employment in industry?

Czechia, with 36.8% in 2021, according to the World Bank.

Which EU country has the lowest employment in industry?

Luxembourg, with 10% in 2021.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: World Bank, Employment in industry (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate) (SL.IND.EMPL.ZS). Retrieved 2026-10-18.

Employment in industry: other rankings

EU countries: more rankings