What is the Current State of the Global Manufacturing Industry?
The top 10 largest manufacturing companies in the world continue to lead the way for the global manufacturing industry in revenue and growth. The leading companies operate in many sectors including automotive, electronics, medical and technology. Relationships are now global, as companies all over the world are looking for different characteristics that are enticing at a B2B level including the efficiency of manufacturing and production output, environmental policies, and pro-business practices.
This fact sheet is to assist business professionals, investors, and people in general that are interested in developing relations with global clients including:
- Discover who the top 10 largest manufacturing companies in the world are?
- What are some manufacturing industry stats and insights to leverage in 2020?
- Which countries have the best manufacturing output?
- What is the largest manufacturing industry in the world?
- Insights into the global manufacturing sector performance
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Global Manufacturing Industry Statistics
- The United States has 12.85 million manufacturing jobs —employing 8.5% of the workforce.
- Manufacturers contribute over $2.3 trillion to the economy of the United States every quarter.
- China leads the world in terms of manufacturing output, with over $2.01 trillion in output.
- Poland has the highest percentage of its workforce employed in manufacturing, followed by Germany, Italy, Turkey, and South Korea.
- Manufacturing constitutes 27 percent of China’s overall national output, which accounts for 20 percent of the world’s manufacturing output.
Top 10 Largest Manufacturing Companies in the World in 2020
Who are the top 10 largest manufacturing companies in the world? The following is a list of the largest manufacturing companies by revenue in 2020.
No. |
Company |
Industry |
Revenue (USD billions) |
Headquarters |
| 1 | Volkswagen Group | Automotive | 282.9 billion | Germany |
| 2 | Toyota Group | Engineering, various | 265.1 billion | Japan |
| 3 | Apple | Electronics | 260.2 billion | United States |
| 4 | Samsung Electronics | Electronics, various | 221.6 billion | South Korea |
| 5 | Daimler | Automotive | 185.2 billion | Germany |
| 6 | General Motors | Automotive | 137.2 billion | United States |
| 7 | Ford | Automotive | 155.9 billion | United States |
| 8 | Hon Hai Precision Industry | Electronics | 154.7 billion | Taiwan |
| 9 | Honda | Automotive | 138.7 billion | Japan |
| 10 | Cardinal Health | Pharmaceuticals | 136.8 billion | United States |
Source: Fortune Global 500
1. Volkswagen Group
Ranking number 1 on the list of the top 10 largest manufacturing companies in the world is the renowned German multinational automotive manufacturing company Volkswagen Group, Founded in 1937 in Berlin, Germany, with its current headquarters in Wolfsburg, Germany. The company is the largest manufacturing company in the world because it operates 100 production facilities across 27 countries. The Volkswagen Group brings in annual revenues of USD 282.9 billion,
The company’s products offerings include automobiles, commercial vehicles, internal combustion engines, motorcycles, and turbomachinery.
- Founded: 1937
- Volkswagen Group Headquarters: Wolfsburg, Germany
- Volkswagen Group Revenue: USD 282.9 billion
- Volkswagen Group Number of Employees: 304,174
2. Toyota Group
The brand power of Toyota Group has always been super strong and that’s why the company is the 2nd biggest manufacturing company in the world. Toyota Group is a group of companies that have supplier, vendor and investment relationships with Toyota Industries and Toyota Motor vehicle manufacturing facilities. Toyota Group headquarters are in Toyota, Aichi, Japan and currently brings in annual revenues of USD 265.1 billion — making the company 2nd on the list of the largest manufacturing companies in the world.
- Founded: 1937
- Toyota Group Headquarters: Toyota, Aichi, Japan
- Toyota Group Revenue: USD 265.1 billion
- Toyota Group Number of Employees: 370,870
3. Apple
Apple is a multinational technology company that is renowned in the world for its brand power. Aside from a very positive public perception, Apple is also a company that brings in some of the highest revenues and profits in the word. Apple’s annual revenue in 2019 was USD 260.2 billion — 3rd on the list of the largest manufacturing companies in the world. Apple was founded In 1976 by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne, and currently operates 500+ retail stores worldwide.
- Founded: 1976
- Apple Headquarters: Cupertino, California, United States
- Apple Revenue: USD 260.2 billion
- Apple Number of Employees: 137,000
4. Samsung Electronics
Samsung Electronics is a South Korean multinational electronics company headquartered in Suwon, South Korea and 4th on BizVibe’s list of the top manufacturing companies in the world. The company is known for its consumer electronics and electronic components including semiconductors, batteries, chips, flash memory, and more that it manufactures for major clients such as Sony, Apple, HTC and more. Samsung was founded in 1969 and brings in annual revenues of USD 221.6 billion.
- Founded: 1969
- Samsung ElectronicsHeadquarters: Suwon-si, South Korea
- Samsung ElectronicsRevenue: USD 221.6 billion
5. Daimler Group
Daimler AG is a German multinational automotive corporation, headquartered in Mercedesstraße, Stuttgart, Germany that specializes in manufacturing automotive products and parts. The company was founded in 1926 and brings in current annual revenues of USD 185.2 billion.
- Founded: 1926
- Daimler AG Headquarters: Mercedesstraße, Stuttgart, Germany
- Daimler AG Revenue: USD 115.2 billion
6. General Motors
6th on BizVibe’s list of the top 10 largest manufacturing companies in the world is the American multinational corporation headquartered in Detroit, General Motors. 6th among the leading manufacturing companies by revenue and the company was also ranked 13th in the USA by revenue for all companies by Fortune 500 rankings. General Motors brings in annual revenues of USD 137.2 billion.
- Founded: 1908
- General Motors Headquarters: Detroit, Michigan, US
- General Motors Revenue: USD 137.2 billion
- General Motors Number of Employees: 164,000
7. Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automobile manufacturer that has its main headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan. The company was founded in 1903 and brings in annual revenues of USD 155.9 billion — making it one the 10 largest manufacturing companies in the world.
- Founded: 1903
- Ford Motor Company Headquarters: Dearborn, Michigan
- Ford Motor Company Revenue: USD 155.9 billion
8. Hon Hai Precision Industry
8th on this list is Taiwanese multinational electronics contract manufacturer, Hon Hai Precision Industry, also known as Foxconn. This company’s headquarters are in Tucheng District, New Taipei and is known for manufacturing electronic components, PCBs, PCB components, computer chips for its clients from all over the world.
Hon Hai Precision Industry was founded in 1974 and brings in annual revenues of USD 154.7 billion.
- Founded: 1974
- Hon Hai Precision Industry Headquarters: Tucheng District, New Taipei, Taiwan
- Hon Hai Precision Industry Revenue: USD 154.7 billion
9. Honda
Honda Motor Company is 9th on this list of largest manufacturing companies by revenue. Honda is a Japanese public multinational conglomerate corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles, and power equipment. The company was founded in Hamamatsu, Japan in 1946. Honda’s other manufacturing divisions include Acura, Honda Aircraft Company, Honda Automobiles, and Honda Motorcycles.
- Founded: 1946
- Honda Headquarters: Minato, Tokyo, Japan
- Honda Revenue: USD 138.7 billion
- Honda Number of Employees: 215,638
10. Cardinal Health
Rounding out the list is the first pharmaceutical company, Cardinal Health — an American multinational health care services company. The company specializes in manufacturing medical and pharmaceutical products and brought in USD 136.8 billion in revenue last year. Cardinal Health’s current headquarters are in Dublin, Ohio, U.S.
- Founded: 1971
- Cardinal Health Headquarters: Dublin, Ohio, U.S.
- Cardinal Health Revenue: USD 136.8 billion
This is BizVibe’s list of the top 10 largest manufacturing companies in the world based on revenue. These companies are changing the way businesses are innovating in the global manufacturing industry and continue to be a key piece in the world’s supply chain.
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Largest Manufacturing Companies in the World – 50 More Companies
Ranking |
Company |
Industry |
Revenue (USD millions) |
Headquarters |
| 1 | SAIC Motor | Automotive | 128,819 | China |
| 2 | General Electric | Engineering, various | 122,274 | United States |
| 3 | BMW | Automotive | 111,231 | Germany |
| 4 | Nissan | Automotive | 107,868 | Japan |
| 5 | China Railway and Engineering Group | Engineering | 102,767 | China |
| 6 | Boeing | Aerospace & Defense | 93,392 | United States |
| 7 | Dongfeng Motor Group | Automotive | 93,294 | China |
| 8 | Siemens | Engineering, various | 91,585 | Germany |
| 9 | Nestle | Food & Beverages | 91,222 | Switzerland |
| 10 | Huawei | Telecommunications equipment, Electronics | 89,311 | China |
| 11 | Bosch | Engineering, various | 87,997 | Germany |
| 12 | Hyundai Motor Company | Automotive | 85,259 | South Korea |
| 13 | Hitachi | Engineering, various | 84,559 | Japan |
| 14 | Enel | Renewable energy | 84,134 | Italy |
| 15 | Eni | Oil & gas | 80,006 | Italy |
| 16 | IBM | Engineering, various | 79,139 | United States |
| 17 | Dell | Electronics | 78,660 | United States |
| 18 | Sony | Electronics | 77,116 | Japan |
| 19 | Sinochem | Chemicals | 76,765 | China |
| 20 | Johnson & Johnson | Personal care products | 76,450 | United States |
| 21 | Airbus | Aerospace & Defense | 75,261 | EU |
| 22 | Peugeot | Automotive | 73,506 | France |
| 23 | China Minmetals | Metals | 72,997 | China |
| 24 | BASF | Chemicals | 72,677 | Germany |
| 25 | Panasonic | Engineering, various | 72,045 | Japan |
| 26 | Beijing Automotive Group | Automotive | 69,591 | China |
| 27 | FAW Group | Automotive | 69,524 | China |
| 28 | ArcelorMittal | Steel | 68,679 | Luxembourg |
| 29 | Mitsubishi | Engineering, various | 68,301 | Japan |
| 30 | Procter & Gamble | Consumer goods | 66,217 | United States |
| 31 | Norinco | Aerospace & Defense | 64,646 | China |
| 32 | PepsiCo | Food & Beverages | 63,525 | United States |
| 33 | Intel | Electronics | 62,761 | United States |
| 34 | DowDuPont | Chemicals | 62,683 | United States |
| 35 | Unilever | Consumer goods | 60,548 | United Kingdom / Netherlands |
| 36 | United Technologies | Engineering, various | 59,837 | United States |
| 37 | Aviation Industry Corporation of China | Aerospace & Defense | 59,263 | China |
| 38 | China Baowu Steel Group | Steel | 59,255 | China |
| 39 | ChemChina | Chemicals | 57,989 | China |
| 40 | Hoffmann-La Roche | Pharmaceuticals | 56,634 | Switzerland |
| 41 | Renault | Automotive | 56,667 | France |
| 42 | Anheuser-Busch InBev | Food & Beverages | 56,444 | Belgium |
| 43 | LG Electronics | Electronics | 54,314 | South Korea |
| 44 | POSCO | Steel | 53,244 | South Korea |
| 45 | Shandong Weiqiao Pioneering Group | Textiles | 53,203 | China |
| 46 | Pfizer | Pharmaceuticals | 52,546 | United States |
| 47 | Hewlett-Packard | Electronics | 52,056 | United States |
| 48 | Bayer | Pharmaceuticals | 51,933 | Germany |
| 49 | Sinopharm | Pharmaceuticals | 51,844 | China |
| 50 | Nippon Steel | Steel | 51,164 | Japan |
Source: Fortune Global 500
Global Manufacturing Output by Country
Country |
Manufacturing Output (USD in billions) |
Percent of National Output |
Percent of Global Manufacturing |
| China | $2,010 | 27% | 20% |
| United States | 1,867 | 12 | 18 |
| Japan | 1,063 | 19 | 10 |
| Germany | 700 | 23 | 7 |
| South Korea | 372 | 29 | 4 |
| India | 298 | 16 | 3 |
| France | 274 | 11 | 3 |
| Italy | 264 | 16 | 3 |
| United Kingdom | 244 | 10 | 2 |
| Taiwan | 185 | 31 | 2 |
| Mexico | 175 | 19 | 2 |
| Spain | 153 | 14 | 2 |
| Canada | 148 | 11 | 1 |
| Brazil | 146 | 11 | 1 |
| Russian Federation | 139 | 11 | 1 |
| Turkey | 125 | 18 | 1 |
| Indonesia | 115 | 22 | 1 |
| Poland | 100 | 20 | 1 |
| Switzerland | 93 | 18 | 1 |
| Netherlands | 88 | 12 | 1 |
Source: United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
- China is responsible for 20% of the world’s manufacturing output.
- After China, The United States ($1.867 trillion), Japan ($1.063 trillion), Germany ($700 billion), and South Korea ($372 billion) are responsible for the highest manufacturing output by country.
- 2 % of Poland’s population is employed in the global manufacturing Industry.
- The U.K. aims to capture a larger proportion of the overseas market in the future.
The Future of the Global Manufacturing Industry
The future of manufacturing 2020 and beyond for truly global manufacturers looks promising as the top 10 largest manufacturing companies in the world continue to grow their relationships with clients that need manufacturing. Expect the industry to keep growing and the key players to play a vital role in its growth as the industry pushes towards and evolving and global supply chain and manufacturing processes.
