List of the 5 major German companies

Traditionally, the German economy has been dominated by small and medium-sized enterprises. Nevertheless, there are also a number of large companies that operate as global players. They can also stand up to international comparison. These are the German TOP 5: This article is based on the unique List of the 3,000 largest companies in Germany.

Place 1: Volkswagen AG, Wolfsburg: €222.88 billion in sales (2020)

The VW Beetle made Volkswagen big as a car brand after World War 2. Today, the Wolfsburg-based automaker competes with rival Toyota to be the world’s largest carmaker. For a long time now, Volkswagen has not only been producing VW’s. The brands Audi, Seat, Skoda and the noble brands Bentley, Bugatti, Ducati (motorcycles), Lamborghini and Porsche also belong to the group. The large company employs over 660,000 people worldwide.

Place 2: Daimler AG, Stuttgart: 154.3 billion euros in sales (2020)

Daimler means German automotive tradition and the Mercedes-Benz brand stands for automotive history par excellence. In 1883, the company’s success story began and it continues unabated. As a global player, Daimler has earned an excellent reputation as a manufacturer of premium vehicles. Today, the business is organised in three subsidiaries: Mercedes-Benz AG, Daimler Truck AG and Daimler Mobility AG. Around 288,000 people work in the Group.

Place 3: Allianz SE, Munich: 140.5 billion euros in revenue (2020)

The Allianz Group is the undisputed number 1 among German insurers and is also one of the largest insurance companies worldwide. As a universal insurer, the company covers all lines of insurance and, with its subsidiary Allianz Global Investors, is also one of the largest German fund companies and asset managers. In a worldwide comparison of company sizes, the Allianz Group is among the TOP 100. The global player employs around 150,000 people.

Place 4: BMW AG, Munich: 99.0 billion euros in sales (2020)

Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft (BMW AG) is Germany’s third-largest automaker and one of the 15 largest carmakers in the world. In addition to premium BMW-branded vehicles and motorcycles, the group owns the British brands Rolls Royce and Mini. BMW has long been a global player. In addition to Germany and Great Britain, production takes place in many other countries, including the USA and China. The large company has over 120,000 employees.

Place 5: Siemens AG, Munich/Berlin: 57.1 billion euros in sales (2020)

Werner Siemens laid the foundation for today’s major company Siemens – a globally active conglomerate with a focus on automation and digitalization – back in 1847. Major parts of the business are organized in the subgroups Siemens Healthineers and Siemens Mobility. The tradition-rich energy division was spun off in 2020 into Siemens Energy AG, which is independent of the group. Even so, Siemens remains a global player with 293,000 employees.
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