Industry Comparison
Compare companies with industry averages - KPIs and benchmarks by industry
Select Industry
Detailed KPIs
| KPI | Average | Median | Top 25% |
|---|---|---|---|
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Discover Premium featuresKey Industry KPIs Explained
| KPI | Formula | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Sales (ROS) | Profit / Revenue × 100 | What percentage of revenue remains as profit |
| Equity Ratio | Equity / Total Assets × 100 | Financial stability and independence (> 30% considered solid) |
| Revenue per Employee | Revenue / Number of Employees | Productivity and efficiency of workforce |
| Personnel Expense Ratio | Personnel Costs / Revenue × 100 | Share of personnel costs in revenue (industry-dependent) |
| Current Ratio | Current Assets / Current Liabilities | Short-term solvency (> 1.5 recommended) |
| Debt Ratio | Debt / Equity | Ratio of debt to equity (< 2 recommended) |
Use Cases for Industry Comparison
Performance Analysis
Identify whether your company is performing above or below average and discover improvement potential.
Investor Reporting
Position your company in the industry context for investors, banks or potential buyers.
Strategic Planning
Set realistic goals based on industry benchmarks and top performer values.
Due Diligence
Evaluate acquisition targets in industry context and identify strengths and weaknesses.
Industry Overview by Profitability
| Industry | Avg. ROS | Avg. Equity Ratio | Avg. Growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pharma & Biotech | 15-20% | 45-55% | +8-12% |
| Software & IT Services | 12-18% | 35-50% | +10-15% |
| Management Consulting | 10-15% | 30-45% | +5-8% |
| Mechanical Engineering | 8-12% | 35-45% | +3-6% |
| Wholesale | 3-5% | 25-35% | +2-4% |
| Retail | 2-4% | 20-30% | +1-3% |
| Gastronomy | 3-8% | 15-25% | +2-5% |
* Average values based on Federal Gazette data and Creditreform statistics. Deviations possible by sub-industry and company size.
Note on Interpretation
Industry averages are reference values. Variation within an industry can be significant. For meaningful comparisons, use companies of similar size and orientation (peer group) and consider the median rather than the mean.
Frequently Asked Questions about Industry Comparison
Below-average values can have many causes: young companies in growth phase, high investments, regional differences, or inefficiencies. Analyze individual KPIs separately and compare with your specific peer group (similar size, region, business model).
The WZ code is in your commercial register entry or can be obtained from the Chamber of Commerce. The Federal Statistical Office offers a search function at destatis.de. Choose the code that best describes your main activity - not secondary activities.
Industry data is based on published annual financial statements and therefore has a time lag of 12-18 months. We update the data continuously as new statements are published in the Federal Gazette.
The median is often more meaningful as it is not skewed by outliers (very large or very small companies). The average can be strongly influenced by a few large companies. For SMEs, the median is usually more relevant.
Identify the KPIs with the largest deviation from industry average. Analyze the causes: low margin → pricing or costs? Low productivity → processes or capacity utilization? Set priorities and define measurable improvement targets.
Yes! Use our Competitor Finder tool to identify specific competitors. With Firmium Premium, you can then perform a direct KPI comparison between your company and selected competitors.
We aggregate data from official sources: Commercial Register (company master data), Federal Gazette (annual statements), Federal Statistical Office (industry statistics), Creditreform and our own analyses. All data is publicly accessible.
Startups are difficult to compare with established companies. Filter by company size (small) and note that young companies often deliberately prioritize growth over profitability. For startups, growth rates and customer metrics are often more meaningful than classic financial KPIs.
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