Food, Chemical, and Pharmaceuticals accounted for 74% of all production in Ireland in 2021.
These three sectors had an aggregate Net Selling Value (NSV) of €98.3 billion, while the remaining sectors reported a value of €34.8 billion.
The total value of products manufactured in Ireland in 2021 was €133.2 billion.
The Pharmaceutical sector reported the highest NSV of €58.1 billion in 2021.
The Top 10 industrial enterprises accounted for 49.2% of all production in Ireland in 2021.
The Top 50 industrial enterprises in Ireland represented 73.5% of the overall NSV with a value of €97.9 billion.
| Largest sectors by Net Selling Value, 2021 | ||
| €'000 | % | |
| Food Products | 25,196,903 | 18.9% |
| Chemicals & Chemical Products | 15,071,481 | 11.3% |
| Basic Pharmaceutical Products & Preparations | 58,069,439 | 43.6% |
| Other | 34,822,375 | 26.2% |
| Total NSV | 133,160,198 | 100.0% |
Basic Pharmaceutical Products & Preparations (€58.1 billion) accounted for the largest proportion of NSV in 2021 at 43.6%. This was followed by Food Products (€25.2 billion) at 18.9% of NSV and Chemicals & Chemical Products with an NSV of €15.1 billion (11.3%). See Figure 1 and Headline table.
Paper & Paper Products accounted for the largest annual decrease (-30.2%) in NSV, followed closely by Chemicals & Chemical Products (-25.9%). The largest increases in domestic NSV were recorded in Other sectors (41.5%), Rubber & Plastic Products (38.1%) and Wood & Wood Products, Other Non-Metallic Mineral Products, Furniture (29.0%). See Figure 2 and Table 1.
| For long labels below use to display on multiple lines | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Food | 18.9 |
| Chemicals | 11.3 |
| Pharmaceuticals | 43.6 |
| Other | 26.2 |
| X-axis label | 2020 - 2021 |
|---|---|
| Other (12,32,33) | 41.4717104426041 |
| Rubber & Plastic Products (22) | 38.1140324350478 |
| Wood & Wood Products, Other Non-Metallic Mineral Products, Furniture (16,23,31) | 29.0334501079911 |
| Transport Equipment (29,30) | 21.4213996703132 |
| Food Products (10) | 14.4920180394349 |
| Basic Pharmaceutical Products & Preparations (21) | 9.55524329818991 |
| Basic Metals & Fabricated Metal Products, Machinery & Equipment (24,25,28) | 3.53660113890411 |
| Textiles, Wearing Apparel, Leather & Related Products (13,14,15) | -1.52452683587055 |
| Mining & Quarrying (05,06,07,08,09) | -8.25309177200748 |
| Beverages (11) | -8.33663746936118 |
| Computer, Electronic, Optical & Electrical Equipment (26,27) | -14.0686121097479 |
| Chemicals & Chemical Products (20) | -25.9266163649525 |
| Paper & Paper Products (17,18) | -30.2326592179806 |
In 2021, the value of Food Products and Beverages combined was €27.4 billion and represented a 19.2% share of total NSV. These sectors had an NSV of €25.8 billion in 2020 and accounted for 20.6% of total NSV, up from 19.2% in 2019, when NSV was valued at €24.4 billion. See Figure 3 and Table 2.
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | |
| Mining & Quarrying (05,06,07,08,09) | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Food Products (10) | 17.1 | 17.3 | 18.9 |
| Beverages (11) | 2 | 1.9 | 1.7 |
| Textiles, Wearing Apparel, Leather & Related Products (13,14,15) | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.2 |
| Paper & Paper Products (17,18) | 1.1 | 1.1 | 0.7 |
| Chemicals & Chemical Products (20) | 15.9 | 16 | 11.3 |
| Basic Pharmaceutical Products & Preparations (21) | 40 | 41.7 | 43.6 |
| Rubber & Plastic Products (22) | 1 | 0.9 | 1.2 |
| Basic Metals & Fabricated Metal Products, Machinery & Equipment (24,25,28) | 4.3 | 3.9 | 3.9 |
| Computer, Electronic, Optical & Electrical Equipment (26,27) | 8.2 | 7.4 | 6.1 |
| Wood & Wood Products, Other Non-Metallic Mineral Products, Furniture (16,23,31) | 2.7 | 2.5 | 3.1 |
| Transport Equipment (29,30) | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Other (12,32,33) | 6.6 | 6.3 | 8.5 |
Production of Pharmaceutical products in Ireland doubled in value from €29.0bn to €58.1bn over the eight-year period 2013 to 2021. See Figure 4 and Table 3.
| Food Products (10) | Chemicals & Chemical Products (20) | Basic Pharmaceutical Products & Preparations (21) | |
| 2013 | 18.890653 | 11.119549 | 29.010038 |
| 2014 | 19.852745 | 14.61837 | 36.060141 |
| 2015 | 20.447922 | 16.884486 | 42.615325 |
| 2016 | 21.567121 | 15.329958 | 46.49925 |
| 2017 | 23.353948 | 10.31636 | 44.477397 |
| 2018 | 23.501571 | 12.928043 | 47.766773 |
| 2019 | 23.065433 | 21.357592 | 53.859334 |
| 2020 | 22.007563 | 20.346689 | 53.00471 |
| 2021 | 25.196903 | 15.071481 | 58.069439 |
The Top 10 industrial enterprises accounted for 49.2% of all production in Ireland in 2021. These 10 enterprises had an aggregate Net Selling Value (NSV) of €65.5 billion, while the remaining 3,257 industrial enterprises reported €67.7 billion.
The Top 50 industrial enterprises in Ireland represented 73.5% of the overall NSV with a value of €97.9 billion. This highlights that the Manufacturing sector in Ireland is heavily reliant on a very small number of enterprises. See Figures 5a & 5b and Table 4.
| For long labels below use to display on multiple lines | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Other | 50.8 |
| Top 10 | 49.2 |
| For long labels below use to display on multiple lines | % |
|---|---|
| Other | 26.5 |
| Top 50 | 73.5 |
Statistician's Comment
Commenting on the release, Eamonn Cleary, Statistician in the Business Statistics Division, said: "The value of products produced in Ireland increased by 4.7% to €133.2bn in 2021. However, it is worth noting that this was 1.1% less than the €134.6bn which was produced in 2019, the last full calendar year before any restrictions arising out of the COVID-19 pandemic were introduced.
The Food, Chemical and Pharmaceutical sectors combined accounted for almost three-quarters (73.8%) of all industrial production activity in Ireland in 2021.
There were 4,970 industrial enterprises included in the PRODCOM survey in 2021, yet the 10 largest industrial enterprises collectively accounted for almost half (49.2%) of the value of all products produced.
Production of Pharmaceutical products in Ireland doubled in value from €29.0bn to €58.1bn over the eight-year period 2013 to 2021."