Key data & overview

Stabilised recovery – and new challenges

In 2022, the European aerospace and defence industry sustained its post-pandemic economic resurgence. Both the civil and defence sectors experienced robust growth, witnessing substantial increases in turnover and employment, surpassing pre-pandemic levels.

In 2022, the turnover of Europe’s aerospace and defence industries increased by 9.8% year-on-year, to €260.5bn, stabilising the trend seen in 2021 when the sector was up 10.2% over 2020. The 2022 turnover corresponds to a 22% share of the global aerospace and defence market of €1,194bn; down from 24% in 2021, indicating stronger growth in other regions worldwide. Within the EU’s 27 Member States (EU27), the industry recorded a similarly robust growth of 10.5% in 2022 (up from 8.3% growth in 2021). The total turnover within the EU27 reached €196.5bn. ASD accounted for 97% of the aerospace and defence industry’s turnover within the EU Member States.

Employment in the aerospace and defence industry within ASD member states increased by 5.2%, reaching a total of 921,400 employees, translating into the creation of around 45,900 additional jobs in 2022. Employment growth was similar in civil aeronautics (6%) and defence (4.4%) in 2022, while the space sector saw the largest employment growth in the year at 8.2%.

Aerospace and defence exports exceeded €150bn in 2022, with civil aeronautics constituting 65% of these exports and the defence and space sector accounting for the remaining 35%. Exports within the civil sector witnessed a growth of just over 10% in 2022, totalling €98.3bn, while military exports reached €52.4bn, marking an 8% increase. It is worth noting that in 2021, military exports experienced a slight decline, reflecting the stagnant growth in total military turnover. However, in 2022, the trajectory reversed, with both exports and turnover showing a recovery.

Innovation and development across both civil and defence sectors have also contributed to growth. R&D investment across the industry totalled €23.2bn, an increase of 18.5% from 2021, with the civilian sector still leading the way, marking an increase of 27% in 2022; and the defence sector showing a growth of 12.9%.