The Size and Composition of the European Third Sector

In this chapter, we proceed to the estimation of the size, scale and scope of the third sector in Europe. The European third sector is an enormous economic force, outdistancing most major industries in the scale of its workforce. Taken together, as of 2014, which are the latest data available, the European third sector engages an estimated 28.3 million full-time equivalent (FTE) workers (paid and volunteer) in the 28 EU countries and Norway. The European third sector thus accounts for nearly 13 percent of the European workforce. This is a significant contribution because any industry that accounts for 5 percent of the employment of a country is considered to be a major industry. A second striking characteristic of the European TSE is its engagement of volunteers in addition to paid employees. In fact, over 15 million FTE workers in the civil society sector in Europe are volunteers, which is 55 percent of the workforce.