European private equity - statistics & facts

Private equity (PE) is money (capital) invested into companies that are not publicly traded. Private equity consists of investors and funds that make investments directly into companies with the mission of seeing a high rate of return on their investment. Private equity deals have a timeline in which investors will look to exit from their investment and ultimately make profit. In certain European countries, investments directed to private equity objects represented a considerable share of their gross domestic product (GDP). For instance, in 2020, almost 1.4 percent of the United Kingdom’s GDP were attributed to private equity investments.

Venture capital & buyouts: a trade-off between risk and profitability

The two main types of private equity funds include venture capital (VC) and buyouts. Venture capital consists of funding pools that tend to be invested in small business or start-ups that have a high potential for considerable growth. As a strategy, VC funding may carry higher risks as new emerging companies tend not to have a proven track record of success, but the potential return on investment (ROI) can be far higher. Private equity buyouts look at mature firms that may be undervalued or underperforming and consist of more than a 50 percent acquisition of the company. Although private equity deals may not live up to the size of the largest acquisitions, they can still reach huge values.

Private equity in Europe is booming

The European PE landscape has been growing in recent years. 2020 has seen the highest number of private equity deals ever made in Europe. Within Europe, the United Kingdom (UK) is the largest market, with average deal sizes far higher than in any other European country.
This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.
Published by Statista Research Department, Jan 10, 2024

Key insights

Number of PE funds in Europe
2,548
Value of PE funds raised in Europe H1 2023
33bn EUR
Value of largest PE fund in Europe 2019
10.3bn USD
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Editor’s Picks Current statistics on this topic

Number of private equity (PE) deals in Europe from 2006 to 2023

M&A & Private Equity

Private equity deal volume in Europe 2006-2023

Value of private equity funds raised in Europe from 2007 to 1st half 2023 (in billion euros)

M&A & Private Equity

Private equity funds raised by European companies 2007-H1 2023

Private equity divestments in Europe from 2007 to 1st half 2023 (in billion euros)

M&A & Private Equity

Private equity divestments in Europe 2007-H1 2023

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