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Private Security Activities in Germany - Market Research Report (2014-2029)

David Riemeier David Riemeier Frankfurt, Germany Last Updated: July 2024 WZ N80.10DE

Revenue

€11.9bn

2024

€11.9bn

Past 5-Year Growth

Profit

€XXX.Xm

Employees

261k

Businesses

5,597

Wages

€X.Xbn

Private Security Activities in Germany industry analysis

Private security services have only recorded slight growth in turnover over the past five years. On average, turnover grew by 3% per year in the period from 2019 to 2024. In 2020, however, strong sales growth was observed due to the coronavirus crisis. During the pandemic, the demand for security services increased significantly in several sectors, with food retailers, for example, initially relying on protective personnel and hospitals and bank branches hiring security services to comply with infection control regulations. However, other markets in the sector, such as airports and trade fair and event organisers, collapsed due to the restrictions imposed to contain the pandemic. The industry's markets are expected to grow solidly overall in 2024. As a result, industry turnover is expected to increase by 1.8% compared to the previous year to EUR 11.9 billion.The industry is primarily driven by the security needs of potential clients, which depend not only on the actual incidence of crime but also on the perceived threat of crime. The perceived danger has increased on average in recent years, fuelling demand for security services. At the same time, the budget of the public sector, such as the police, is limited, which is why more and more security measures are being outsourced to the private sector. A reduction in government spending is to be expected in the current year. However, this is mainly due to the phasing out of support measures to counteract the negative effects of the pandemic and less to changes in funding to support the police. < />Over the next five years, IBISWorld expects average annual sales growth of 4.3% and industry sales of 14.7 billion euros in 2029. This means that the industry is likely to perform better than in the previous five-year period. The greater stability should lead to a stronger focus on the quality of performance, which is also being promoted by industry stakeholders in the public and political arena.

Trends and Insights

  • In 2020, there was a sharp increase in the need for security services in food retail, bank branches and hospitals to monitor compliance with infection control measures. In grocery stores, an increased presence was even necessary to protect the general public from aggressive customers.
  • After a dip in sales during the lockdowns to contain the coronavirus, property and plant security is once again recording an increasing share of sales. This trend is likely to continue in the coming years.
  • The densely populated federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia has the highest number of companies in the sector. The Rhine-Ruhr region in particular is characterised by strong economic dynamism, which is why there is above-average demand from companies for security services.
  • There is very strong price competition in the industry. As the barriers to entry in the industry are extremely low, many small individual companies operate on the market, offering low-cost services.

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Industry Statistics and Trends

Market size and recent performance (2014-2029)

Industry revenue has grown at a CAGR of 3.0 % over the past five years, to reach an estimated €11.9bn in 2024.

Trends and Insights

The coronavirus pandemic has had different effects on the various sales markets

  • In certain sales markets such as the aviation sector or the events sector, business has slumped due to travel restrictions and event cancellations during the coronavirus pandemic in 2020.
  • Additional trends and insights available with purchase
Private Security Activities in Germany
Revenue (2014-2029)
IBISWorld Logo Source: IBISWorld

Industry outlook (2024-2029)

Market size is projected to grow over the next five years.

Trends and Insights

The industry is increasingly focussing on quality rather than quantity when it comes to personnel issues

  • The increasing implementation of specific training software promotes the level of qualification of the existing workforce. Initially, only industry giants have purchased such applications for their employees, but it is to be expected that generally available programmes will also reach SME companies in the future.

Biggest companies in the Private Security Activities in Germany

Company
Market Share (%)
2024
Revenue (€m)
2024
Securitas Holding GmbH
969.1
Kötter Unternehmensgruppe
466.6
Pond Security Service GmbH
286.5

To view the market share and analysis for all 7 top companies in this industry, view purchase options.

Products & Services Segmentation

Private Security Activities in Germany
Products & Services
IBISWorld Logo Source: IBISWorld

Industry revenue is measured across several distinct product and services lines, including Property and plant security, Reception services and Aviation security services. Property and plant security is the largest segment of the Private Security Activities in Germany.

Trends and Insights

Property and plant security remains the industry's most important service offering

  • The aim of property and plant security is to ensure proper operation and prevent disruptions from inside and outside. This includes protecting company premises from break-ins and theft. Most employees of the security services work in this area.
  • More insights available in the full report

Table of Contents

About this industry

Industry definition

This sector includes private security services that are utilised by companies, private individuals and public institutions. Although security services can exercise domiciliary rights for their clients, their scope of action is otherwise defined and limited by the Everyman's Right. Security services specialising in camera surveillance are not part of the industry.

What's included in this industry?

Property and plant securityReception servicesProtection of refugee accommodationAviation security servicesCash and valuables servicesEvent and security services

Companies

Securitas Holding GmbHKötter UnternehmensgruppePond Security Service GmbH

Purchase this report to view all 7 major companies in this industry.

Related Terms

INTEGRATED SECURITY SOLUTIONSSUBCONTRACTSRELIABILITY TEST

Industry Code

WZ 2008

WZ 80.10 - Private Security Activities in Germany

Performance

Get an indication of the industry's health through historical, current and forward-looking trends in the performance indicators that make or break businesses.

Analyst insights

In 2020, there was a sharp increase in the need for security services in food retail, bank branches and hospitals to monitor compliance with infection control measures. In gr...

In this chapter (4)

  • Current Performance
  • Outlook
  • Volatility
  • Life Cycle

Key metrics

  • Annual Revenue, Recent Growth, Forecast, Revenue Volatility
  • Number of Employees, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Employee
  • Number of Businesses, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Business
  • Total Profit, Profit Margin, Profit per Business

Charts

  • Revenue, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
  • Employees, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
  • Businesses, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
  • Profit, including historical (2014-2024)
  • Industry Volatility vs. Revenue Growth
  • Industry Life Cycle

Detailed analysis

  • Trends in supply, demand and current events that are driving current industry performance
  • Expected trends, economic factors and ongoing events that drive the industry's outlook
  • Key success factors for businesses to overcome volatility
  • How contribution to GDP, industry saturation, innovation, consolidation, and technology and systems influence the industry's life cycle phase.

Products and Markets

Learn about an industry's products and services, markets and trends in international trade.

Analyst insight

After a dip in sales during the lockdowns to contain the coronavirus, property and plant security is once again recording an increasing share of sales. This trend is likely t...

In this chapter

  • Products & Services
  • Major Markets

Key metrics

  • Largest market segment and value in 2024
  • Product innovation level

Charts

  • Products & services segmentation in 2024
  • Major market segmentation in 2024

Detailed analysis

  • Trends impacting the recent performance of the industry's various segments
  • Innovations in the industry's product or service offering, specialization or delivery method
  • Key factors that successful businesses consider in their offerings
  • Buying segments and key trends influencing demand for industry products and services

Geographic Breakdown

Discover where business activity is most concentrated in an industry and the factors driving these trends to find opportunities and conduct regional benchmarking.

Analyst insights

The densely populated federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia has the highest number of companies in the sector. The Rhine-Ruhr region in particular is characterised by stron...

In this chapter (1)

  • Business Locations

Charts

  • Share of revenue, establishment, wages and employment in each region
  • Share of population compared to establishments in each region in 2024

Tables

  • Number and share of establishments in each region in 2024
  • Number and share of revenue each region accounts for in 2024
  • Number and share of wages each region accounts for in 2024
  • Number and share of employees in each region in 2024

Detailed analysis

  • Geographic spread of the industry across Europe, and trends associated with changes in the business landscape
  • Key success factors for businesses to use location to their advantage

Competitive Forces

Get data and insights on what's driving competition in an industry and the challenges industry operators and new entrants may face, with analysis built around Porter's Five Forces framework.

Analyst insights

There is very strong price competition in the industry. As the barriers to entry in the industry are extremely low, many small individual companies operate on the market, off...

In this chapter (4)

  • Concentration
  • Barriers to Entry
  • Substitutes
  • Buyer & Supplier Analysis

Key metrics

  • Industry concentration level
  • Industry competition level and trend
  • Barriers to entry level and trend
  • Substitutes level and trend
  • Buyer power level and trend
  • Supplier power level and trend

Charts

  • Market share concentration among the top 4 suppliers from 2019-2024
  • Supply chain including upstream supplying industries and downstream buying industries, flow chart

Detailed analysis

  • Factors impacting the industry’s level of concentration, such as business distribution, new entrants, or merger and acquisition activity.
  • Key success factors for businesses to manage the competitive environment of the industry.
  • Challenges that potential industry entrants face such as legal, start-up costs, differentiation, labor/capital intensity and capital expenses.
  • Key success factors for potential entrants to overcome barriers to entry.
  • Competitive threats from potential substitutes for the industry’s own products and services.
  • Key success factors for how successful businesses can compete with substitutes.
  • Advantages that buyers have to keep favorable purchasing conditions.
  • Advantages that suppliers have to maintain favorable selling conditions.
  • Key success factors for how businesses can navigate buyer and supplier power.

Companies

Learn about the performance of the top companies in the industry.

Analyst insights

The Securitas Group's declared goal is to double its share of technical security solutions. For example, Securitas strengthened the 24-hour remote monitoring sector with the ...

In this chapter

  • Market Share Concentration
  • Companies
  • Company Spotlights

Charts

  • Industry market share by company in 2020 through 2024
  • Major companies in the industry, including market share, revenue, profit and profit margin in 2024
  • Overview of Securitas Holding GmbH's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024
  • Overview of Kötter Unternehmensgruppe's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024
  • Overview of Pond Security Service GmbH's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024
  • Overview of revenue, market share and profit margin trend for 4 additional companies

Detailed analysis

  • Description and key data for Securitas Holding GmbH, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
  • Description and key data for Kötter Unternehmensgruppe, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
  • Description and key data for Pond Security Service GmbH, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
  • Description, key data and performance trends for 4 additional companies

External Environment

Understand the demographic, economic and regulatory factors that shape how businesses in an industry perform.   

Analyst insights

German weapons legislation strictly regulates the use of weapons by private security services. A number of licences, a psychological assessment and the passing of a weapons p...

In this chapter

  • External Drivers
  • Regulation & Policy
  • Assistance

Key metrics

  • Regulation & policy level and trend
  • Assistance level and trend

Charts

  • Regulation & Policy historical data and forecast (2014-2029) 
  • Assistance historical data and forecast (2014-2029) 

Detailed analysis

  • Demographic and macroeconomic factors influencing the industry, including Regulation & Policy and Assistance
  • Major types of regulations, regulatory bodies, industry standards or specific regulations impacting requirements for industry operators
  • Key governmental and non-governmental groups or policies that may provide some relief for industry operators.

Financial Benchmarks

View average costs for industry operators and compare financial data against an industry's financial benchmarks over time. 

Analyst insights

The industry has a comparatively moderate profit margin. This can be attributed to the intense competition, the high number of market players and the low market concentration...

In this chapter

  • Cost Structure
  • Financial Ratios
  • Key Ratios

Key metrics

  • Profit margin, and how it compares to the sector-wide margin
  • Average wages, and how it compares to the sector-wide average wage
  • Largest cost component as a percentage of revenue
  • Industry average ratios for days' receivables, industry coverage and debt-to-net-worth ratio

Charts

  • Average industry operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2024
  • Average sector operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2024
  • Investment vs. share of economy

Data tables

  • Cash Flow & Debt Service Ratios (2014-2029)
  • Revenue per Employee (2014-2029)
  • Revenue per Enterprise (2014-2029)
  • Employees per Establishment (2014-2029)
  • Employees per Enterprise (2014-2029)
  • Average Wage (2014-2029)
  • Wages/Revenue (2014-2029)
  • Establishments per Enterprise (2014-2029)
  • IVA/Revenue (2014-2029)
  • Imports/Demand (2014-2029)
  • Exports/Revenue (2014-2029)

Detailed analysis

  • Trends in the cost component for industry operators and their impact on industry costs and profitability 

Key Statistics

Industry Data

Data Tables

Including values and annual change:

  • Revenue (2014-2029)
  • IVA (2014-2029)
  • Establishments (2014-2029)
  • Enterprises (2014-2029)
  • Employment (2014-2029)
  • Exports (2014-2029)
  • Imports (2014-2029)
  • Wages (2014-2029)

Top Questions Answered

Unlock comprehensive answers and precise data upon purchase. View purchase options.

What is the market size of the Private Security Activities industry in Germany in 2024?

The market size of the Private Security Activities industry in Germany is €11.9bn in 2024.

How many businesses are there in the Private Security Activities in Germany industry in 2024?

There are 5,597 businesses in the Private Security Activities industry in Germany, which has grown at a CAGR of 3.5 % between 2019 and 2024.

Has the Private Security Activities industry in Germany grown or declined over the past 5 years?

The market size of the Private Security Activities industry in Germany has been growing at a CAGR of 3.0 % between 2019 and 2024.

What is the forecast growth of the Private Security Activities industry in Germany over the next 5 years?

Over the next five years, the Private Security Activities industry in Germany is expected to grow.

What are the biggest companies in the Private Security Activities market in Germany?

The biggest companies operating in the Private Security Activities market in Germany are Securitas Holding GmbH, Kötter Unternehmensgruppe and Pond Security Service GmbH

What does the Private Security Activities in Germany include?

Property and plant security and Reception services are part of the Private Security Activities industry.

Which companies have the highest market share in the Private Security Activities in Germany?

The company holding the most market share in Germany is Securitas Holding GmbH.

How competitive is the Private Security Activities industry in Germany?

The level of competition is high and steady in the Private Security Activities industry in Germany.

Related Industries

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Methodology

How are IBISWorld reports created?

IBISWorld has been a leading provider of trusted industry research for over 50 years to the most successful companies worldwide. With offices in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and China, we are proud to have local teams of analysts that conduct research, data analysis and forecasting to produce data-driven industry reports.

Our analysts start with official, verified and publicly available sources of data to build the most accurate picture of each industry. Analysts then leverage their expertise and knowledge of the local markets to synthesize trends into digestible content for IBISWorld readers. Finally, each report is reviewed by one of IBISWorld’s editors, who provide quality assurance to ensure accuracy and readability.

IBISWorld relies on human-verified data and human-written analysis to compile each standard industry report. We do not use generative AI tools to write insights, although members can choose to leverage AI-based tools within the platform to generate additional analysis formats.

What data sources do IBISWorld analysts use?

Each industry report incorporates data and research from government databases, industry-specific sources, industry contacts, and our own proprietary database of statistics and analysis to provide balanced, independent and accurate insights.

Key data sources in Germany include:

  • German Federal Statistics Office (Destatis)
  • European Statistics Office (Eurostat)
  • United Nations Comtrade

Analysts also use industry specific sources to complement catch-all sources, although their perspective may focus on a particular organization or representative body, rather than a clear overview of all industry operations. However, when balanced against other perspectives, industry-specific sources provide insights into industry trends.

These sources include:

  • Industry and trade associations
  • Industry federations or regulators
  • Major industry players annual or quarterly filings

Finally, IBISWorld’s global data scientists maintain a proprietary database of macroeconomic and demand drivers, which our analysts use to help inform industry data and trends. They also maintain a database of statistics and analysis on thousands of industries, which has been built over our more than 50-year history and offers comprehensive insights into long-term trends.

How does IBISWorld forecast its data?

IBISWorld’s analysts and data scientists use the sources above to create forecasts for our proprietary datasets and industry statistics. Depending on the dataset, they may use regression analysis, multivariate analysis, time-series analysis or exponential smoothing techniques to project future data for the industry or driver. Additionally, analysts will leverage their local knowledge of industry operating and regulatory conditions to impart their best judgment on the forecast model.

IBISWorld prides itself on being a trusted, independent source of data, with over 50 years of experience building and maintaining rich datasets and forecasting tools. We are proud to be the keystone source of industry information for thousands of companies across the world.

Learn more about our methodology and data sourcing on the Help Center.