Demo - Dominique - GOPA

Development of key indicators for the environmental economy

According to Eurostat estimates, employment in the EU environmental economy increased from 3.2 million full-time equivalents in 2000 to 4.5 million full-time equivalents in 2019. The environmental economy generated €799 billion output and €326 billion gross value added in 2019. Between 2000 and 2019, employment and gross value added grew faster in the environmental economy than in the overall economy (see Figure 1).

Figure 1: Development of key indicators for the environmental economy and the overall economy, EU, 2000–2019
(2000 = 100)
Source: Eurostat (env_ac_egss1), (env_ac_egss2), (nama_10_gdp) and (nama_10_a10_e)

The first decade of the millennium was a period of almost steady job creation in the environmental economy. Employment increased on average 2 % on an annual basis. The declining employment in 2003 marks an exception in a period of steady growth, which came to an end in 2012. From 2012 to 2014, job numbers fell in two consecutive years. Since then, employment has grown again, and in 2019 employment in the environmental sector is higher than in any of the previous 20 years.