Restaurants and food services in Europe - statistics & facts

European cuisine has become a global export, with food and drink establishments all over the world selling beloved dishes like pizza, paella, and pastéis de nata. But these dishes all originated somewhere. These days, the food and drink services industry in Europe is thriving - in 2022, there were as many as 1.5 million food and drink service establishments in the European Union (EU-27) alone. Meanwhile, the food and drink service industry’s net turnover was a whopping 441.8 billion euros. That said, recent years have proved hard for this industry with the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) causing temporary restaurant closures and the subsequent inflation resulting in higher overheads for its establishments, and higher costs for customers.

What European country has the largest food and drink service industry?

Food and drink services in Europe can include anything from elegant fine-dining experiences in Michelin-starred restaurants to grabbing a quick burger using the drive-thru at McDonald’s. Or if Europeans are in the mood for a sweet treat, they may visit one of the cities with the most ice cream shops in Europe, like Milan or Turin. Not only was Italy the place to be for ice cream, it was also the country with the most food and drink establishments in Europe. That said, it only had the third highest net turnover of food and drink services in countries in Europe, while France placed at the top of the ranking with a turnover of 85 billion euros. Equally, one may expect Italy to also have the highest employment in the food and drink service industry in Europe, but this was actually true of Germany, showing that no one country consistently led the pack.

The rise of online food delivery services in Europe

While it is sometimes referred to as “the old country” by those in the United States, Europe has embraced modernity, with many services moving increasingly online. This can be said of online food and drink delivery services. Revenue of the online meal delivery market in Europe reached as much as 41.2 billion U.S. dollars in 2023 and was forecast to grow by over 50 percent in the upcoming five years. However, some European countries have taken to online food delivery more than others, including the United Kingdom, Germany, France, and Italy, who all displayed high penetration rates. The UK in particular showed a preference for online delivery with the share of online restaurant delivery users reaching 40 percent in 2024. With its diverse and historical culinary culture and its eye looking to the future, the European food and drink services industry does not look to be slowing its growth any time soon.
This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.
Published by Statista Research Department, Apr 4, 2024

Key insights

Net turnover of the food and drink service industry in the European Union (EU-27)
441.8bn euros
European country with the highest food and drink services net turnover
France
Number of food and drink service establishments in the European Union (EU-27)
1.5m
Get more insights

Editor’s Picks Current statistics on this topic

Key data on the restaurant and takeaway industry in Europe as of November 2023

Restaurant Market

Key figures on the restaurant and takeaway industry in Europe 2023

Number of employees in the food and beverage service activities industry in Europe in 2022, by country

Food & Drink Services

Food and beverage service industry's number of employees in European countries 2022

Number of Michelin-starred restaurants in selected countries and territories worldwide as of July 2023

Full-Service Retaurants

Selected countries with the most Michelin-starred restaurants worldwide 2023

Related topics

Recommended

6

Recommended statistics

Overview

4

Overview

Regional breakdowns

5

Regional breakdowns

Key players

6

Key players

Online food delivery

5

Online food delivery

Further reportsGet the best reports to understand your industry

Restaurants in the United Kingdom
Restaurants in the United Kingdom
Travel and tourism in Europe
Travel and tourism in Europe
Restaurant delivery and takeaway market in the UK
Restaurant delivery and takeaway market in the UK
Food and drink services in Europe
Food and drink services in Europe
Food and drink services in Italy
Food and drink services in Italy
Food service in Spain
Food service in Spain
Wine tourism in Europe
Wine tourism in Europe

Contact

Get in touch with us. We are happy to help.
Statista Locations
Contact Meredith Alda
Meredith Alda
Sales Manager– Contact (United States)
Email
support@statista.com

Mon - Fri, 9am - 6pm (EST)

Contact Yolanda Mega
Yolanda Mega
Operations Manager– Contact (Asia)
Email
asia.support@statista.com

Mon - Fri, 9am - 5pm (SGT)

Contact Kisara Mizuno
Kisara Mizuno
Senior Business Development Manager– Contact (Asia)
Email
asia.support@statista.com

Mon - Fri, 10:00am - 6:00pm (JST)

Contact Lodovica Biagi
Lodovica Biagi
Director of Operations– Contact (Europe)
Email
eu.support@statista.com

Mon - Fri, 9:30am - 5pm (GMT)

Contact Carolina Dulin
Carolina Dulin
Group Director - LATAM– Contact (Latin America)
Email
latam@statista.com

Mon - Fri, 9am - 6pm (EST)

Menu