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Our list of the largest pharmaceutical companies in Germany provides you with comprehensive insights into the most important players in the German pharmaceutical industry. In addition to current revenue and employee figures, you will find valuable information on industry focus, managing directors, and contact details. The data is conveniently available as an Excel file for direct download.
Researchgermany – the leading portal for company databases in the German market – publishes a comprehensive update of the list of the largest pharmaceutical companies in Germany. For numerous entries, the latest revenue and employee figures available in the company register have been integrated (cut-off date: 28.08.2025; database update: 24.08.2025).
Extensive Data Update
The list has been thoroughly revised and provided with new key figures. At a glance (only values already available in the Federal Gazette):
As of August 2025, not all pharmaceutical companies have filed their 2023 annual financial statements. Therefore, fewer figures are available for this year than for 2022. As soon as further publications are made, they will be integrated.
- 271 companies listed in total
- Revenue 2023: 157 companies
- Revenue 2022: 185 companies
- Employees 2023: 191 companies
- Employees 2022: 218 companies
Development in Comparison
For companies that have already published figures for 2022 and 2023 without parent companies, a mixed picture emerges:
- Median revenue growth: +5.9% – many medium-sized and smaller pharmaceutical companies are growing
- 88 companies increased their revenue, 40 declined, 3 remained constant
- Total employment at 164 companies with both years: +3,955 employees
- 98 companies increased staff, 54 reduced, 12 remained stable
The Largest German Pharmaceutical Companies
The top positions are held by leading pharmaceutical players with international impact:
- Bayer AG (Leverkusen, North Rhine-Westphalia) – Revenue 2023: € 47,637 million
- Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH (Ingelheim am Rhein, Rhineland-Palatinate) – € 25,611 million
- Merck KGaA (Darmstadt, Hesse) – € 20,993 million
- Fresenius Kabi Deutschland GmbH (Bad Homburg, Hesse) – € 22,299 million
- BioNTech SE (Mainz, Rhineland-Palatinate) – € 3,819 million
Regional Distribution
The German pharmaceutical industry is strongly represented in North Rhine-Westphalia, Hesse, and Rhineland-Palatinate – complemented by clusters in Bavaria and Berlin. Particularly important sites are Leverkusen, Ingelheim, Darmstadt, and Mainz.
Legal Forms
As in other industries, traditional corporate forms of the German Mittelstand and large corporations dominate in pharmaceuticals:
- GmbH
- GmbH & Co. KG
- AG
- KGaA
- SE
Industry-Specific Focus
The focus areas of the largest German pharmaceutical companies range from prescription drugs to vaccines, biotech solutions, generics, and clinical nutrition. Thus, the industry remains a central pillar of the German healthcare economy and a driver of innovation in an international comparison.
Notes on Sources and Cut-off Dates
The key figures come from the latest publications in the company register (as of: 28.08.2025). The information in this article refers exclusively to data published in the Federal Gazette. The Researchgermany pharmaceutical company database was last synchronized on 24.08.2025.
Image source: Getty Images, 31.08.2025
Last Updated on 4 months ago
