This report quantifies the economic impact of the e-commerce sector and its contribution to the German economy in 2024.
E-commerce has become a major sector in Germany thanks to its many benefits for both buyers and sellers. In recent years, over 70 percent of Germans reported that e-commerce has become an indispensable part of their everyday lives—underscoring the critical role e-commerce plays for consumers. At the same time, e-commerce plays an even bigger role in business-to-business transactions, surpassing even business-to-consumer transactions in terms of revenue. To quantify these impacts, Oxford Economics conducted a study to capture the economic contribution of German e-commerce in 2024.
Our findings show that the e-commerce sector’s total economic contribution to German GDP stood at €308 billion in 2024—more than the GDP of Finland in the same year. Of this, the e-commerce sector itself directly generated gross value added of €119 billion, while it indirectly supported a further €81 billion via its suppliers. Finally, an induced impact of €108 billion was stimulated through consumption expenditures by employees in e-commerce and along its supply chain.
In 2024, the e-commerce sector also supported a total of 2.9 million jobs in Germany, with the sector directly contributing 1 million jobs. Another 800 thousand jobs were supported indirectly. Induced effects contributed a further 1.2 million jobs. Hence, for every person employed directly in e-commerce, 2 more jobs were supported in other sectors.
Additionally, the report examines the wider impact of e-commerce on the economy and society through increasing consumer utility, driving innovation and productivity as well as enabling small and medium-sized enterprises. Finally, the report provides an outlook for the German e-commerce sector.