The leading pharmaceutical company worldwide in 2023 was Johnson & Johnson, however, also including non-pharmaceutical sales.
A global view on the industry
The total global pharmaceutical market was worth around 1.6 trillion U.S. dollars in 2023. North America remains the strongest regional market worldwide, responsible for nearly half of the global market size. The largest national pharmaceutical market is the United States, making up almost half of global medicine spending. Thus, five of the ten largest pharmaceutical companies worldwide were from the United States in 2023. One reason for this is that the U.S. is still the world’s largest hub for life sciences and medical research and knowledge.
The importance of innovation
Pharmaceutical companies are to a considerable part – more than in most other industries – driven by the imperative to produce innovative products and to invest in research and development. Once a new drug, for example, is launched, the clock is already ticking towards the loss of patent protection. In particular, companies that depend on a small number of blockbuster drugs, are under threat of heavy revenue loss. Two effects of patent expirations for the pharma industry are high R&D concentration and a growing focus on specialty drugs.
Leading 10 pharmaceutical companies worldwide by revenue in 2023
(in billion U.S. dollars)
Including Rx and OTC sales. For companies reporting in foreign currencies, conversion to U.S. dollars is based on the annual average exchange rate. * Including non-pharmaceutical revenues.
Profit from the additional features of your individual account
Currently, you are using a shared account. To use individual functions (e.g., mark statistics as favourites, set
statistic alerts) please log in with your personal account.
If you are an admin, please authenticate by logging in again.
Learn more about how Statista can support your business.
FiercePharma. (April 15, 2024). Leading 10 pharmaceutical companies worldwide by revenue in 2023 (in billion U.S. dollars) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved December 08, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/407969/projected-sales-of-top-pharmaceutical-companies-worldwide/
FiercePharma. "Leading 10 pharmaceutical companies worldwide by revenue in 2023 (in billion U.S. dollars)." Chart. April 15, 2024. Statista. Accessed December 08, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/407969/projected-sales-of-top-pharmaceutical-companies-worldwide/
FiercePharma. (2024). Leading 10 pharmaceutical companies worldwide by revenue in 2023 (in billion U.S. dollars). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: December 08, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/407969/projected-sales-of-top-pharmaceutical-companies-worldwide/
FiercePharma. "Leading 10 Pharmaceutical Companies Worldwide by Revenue in 2023 (in Billion U.S. Dollars)." Statista, Statista Inc., 15 Apr 2024, https://www.statista.com/statistics/407969/projected-sales-of-top-pharmaceutical-companies-worldwide/
FiercePharma, Leading 10 pharmaceutical companies worldwide by revenue in 2023 (in billion U.S. dollars) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/407969/projected-sales-of-top-pharmaceutical-companies-worldwide/ (last visited December 08, 2024)
Leading 10 pharmaceutical companies worldwide by revenue in 2023 (in billion U.S. dollars) [Graph], FiercePharma, April 15, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/407969/projected-sales-of-top-pharmaceutical-companies-worldwide/