Facts & Figures 2023

The Facts & Figures report from 2023 quantifies the aerospace, security and defence industry's  contribution to employment, turnover, exports, and research & development investment.

The report – based upon analysis provided by S&P Global Market Intelligence – demonstrates that the European aerospace and defence industry in 2022 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.

The growth in the civil aviation sector was largely driven by the resur­gence of air travel that continued towards pre-pandemic levels. Simultaneously, the war unleashed by Russia against Ukraine led to increased de­mand for defence products and services, driven by both support for Ukraine and a reassessment of defence preparedness in Europe with the aim of strengthening Europe’s own capabilities.

At a time when all indicators pointed towards the need to scale up produc­tion to satisfy surging demand in both sectors, however, fresh challenges emerged, encom­passing supply-chain bottlenecks, shortages of critical raw materials and electronic components, along with trade restrictions resulting from sanctions imposed on Russia. Additionally, the combination of soaring inflation and escalating energy costs have further compounded this already complex and demanding situation.

ASD President and CEO of Airbus, Guillaume Faury commented: 

“I am impressed by how our industry – represented by ASD and serving over 4,000 member companies drawn from right across Europe – has come together to confront multiple overlapping geopolitical and economic crises over the past years. The figures presented in this annual report demonstrate the ability to adapt and the resilience of the European aerospace and defence industries.

“While performance in 2022 highlighted the industry’s strength and strategic importance for Europe, it also unveiled a number of challenges that need to be addressed effectively by policymakers to enable our industry to ramp up production to meet growing demand and deliver on our societal mission to connect and protect.