Facts and Figures 2011: The European chemical industry in a worldwide perspective

The 2011 Cefic European Facts & Figures provides an analysis of the latest competitive trends in the European chemicals industry. The document provides the most up-to-date information based on currently available data about the sector, which produces 21% per cent of the world’s chemicals, employs 1.2 million workers and contributes €491 billion to the EU economy.What the document containsThe Facts & Figures document is published annually to provide a clear analysis of the economic performance of the European chemicals industry and its relative position in a competitive global market. The analysis excludes the pharmaceuticals sector unless specified. Also available is a PowerPoint slide presentation containing graphs used in the document.ReadershipCefic’s Facts & Figures is a much-anticipated publication released each year and is considered an important chemicals industry reference document used primarily by industry analysts, researchers, policymakers and chemicals companies.The importance of Europe’s chemicals sectorThe EU chemicals industry is one of the European Union’s most international, competitive and successful industries, connected to a wide field of processing and manufacturing activities. The output of the chemicals industry, which includes all 27 EU member states, covers a wide range of chemical products and supplies virtually all sectors of the economy. The industry also provides a significant contribution to EU net exports.