Lighting Fixture Manufacturing in European Union 2026: Industry Statistics & Trends

The European Union lighting fixture manufacturing industry is primarily engaged in producing electric lamps, luminaires, and specialized lighting systems under NACE Code 27.40. The sector has transitioned almost entirely to light-emitting diode (LED) technologies while shifting toward integrated smart lighting and IoT-connected infrastructure. Reflecting this maturity, the latest official figures from the European industry body LightingEurope estimate that the broader sector's annual turnover exceeded 15 billion Euros in 2024, supported by an EU workforce of over 80,000 employees.

Industry snapshot

Key public data points

Historical & forecast

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What does the Lighting Fixture Manufacturing in European Union industry cover?

The sector, officially categorized under the European statistical classification system, encompasses the design, fabrication, and assembly of electric lighting equipment and fixtures. It spans general purpose household lamps, commercial ceiling luminaires, industrial high-bay fixtures, and outdoor public or street lighting, alongside essential specialized components like separate control gears.

• •Identified officially as NACE Rev. 2 Class 27.40, covering 'Manufacture of electric lighting equipment'.
• •Encompasses both residential luminaires and complex connected lighting grids utilized in municipal smart city programs.
• •Excludes glass bulb blanks (NACE 23.11) and current-carrying wiring devices (NACE 27.33), focusing purely on completed lighting equipment.

Who operates in the industry and how is it structured?

The industry's structural framework is characterized by a high degree of fragmentation, with a small number of multinational conglomerates coexisting alongside hundreds of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Industrial representation through the European association LightingEurope accounts for over 1,000 corporate manufacturers, representing a substantial portion of local European output.

• •SMEs make up the vast majority (over 90%) of the individual companies active in the regional manufacturing landscape.
• •Major manufacturing hubs are historically concentrated within highly industrialized Member States such as Germany, Italy, and Poland.
• •Industry trade group LightingEurope represented over 1,000 companies and an estimated regional workforce of 80,000 people as of its 2024-2025 reporting.

What drives demand in the industry?

Commercial and residential retrofitting campaigns, driven by mandatory greenhouse gas reduction targets, serve as the primary engine for industry demand. The continuous replacement of legacy incandescent and fluorescent systems with high-efficacy LED alternatives has been heavily accelerated by high energy tariffs and municipal sustainable development plans.

• •The European Union's target to reduce energy consumption by 55% by 2030 (established at the end of 2019) remains a fundamental long-term driver of lighting retrofits.
• •Rapid urbanization and localized smart city deployments, such as smart connected street lighting installations, propel the commercial project pipeline.
• •The steady rise in commercial real-estate energy audits and green building certification requirements enforces LED luminaire specification in new builds.

Who are the notable companies in the industry?

Competition in the European arena is intense and increasingly revolves around technological differentiation, system integration, and circular design. Prominent players include massive multinational lighting specialists as well as specialized architectural or commercial luminaire groups that operate extensive local assembly facilities across the continent.

• •Signify N.V. (formerly Philips Lighting), based in the Netherlands, remains the largest global and regional lighting manufacturer, heavily promoting circular 3D-printed luminaires.
• •Zumtobel Group AG, headquartered in Austria, is a leading player focused heavily on professional indoor and outdoor architectural lighting systems.
• •Fagerhult Group (AB Fagerhult), a major Swedish manufacturer, is highly competitive in the professional indoor and bespoke project spaces.
• •ams-OSRAM AG, headquartered in Austria/Germany, provides high-performance optoelectronic semiconductors alongside finished specialized lighting solutions.

What are the recent trends and outlook?

The market is moving beyond simple energy-efficient retrofits ('LEDification') toward human-centric lighting (HCL) and connected digital systems. Regulatory demands have forced a strong push toward circular economy engineering, requiring manufacturers to build modular fixtures with easily replaceable parts to reduce electronic waste.

• •Wireless mesh and Bluetooth-integrated smart luminaires are transitioning from niche applications to standard specifications in Western European commercial spaces.
• •The implementation of the EU Digital Product Passport (slated for phased deployment starting in 2026) forces manufacturers to provide clear data on materials and recyclability.
• •Material design is shifting toward bio-circular plastics and post-consumer recycled components to align with European Green Deal goals.

How is the industry regulated?

The European lighting sector is subject to some of the world's most stringent environmental and safety frameworks, which dictate design, efficacy, and chemical composition. Compliance with these rules is a prerequisite for entry to the single market, and requirements continue to tighten progressively to eliminate inefficient products.

• •The Single Lighting Regulation (SLR - Regulation EU 2019/2020) and Energy Labelling Regulation (ELR - Regulation EU 2019/2015) enforce strict ecodesign rules and a simplified A-G energy scale.
• •Under the SLR framework, minimum luminous efficacy standards for general lighting LED products require higher efficiency (such as Class D representing at least 120 lm/W as of 2026).
• •The Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Directive banned several classic fluorescent light sources, effectively eliminating T5 and T8 mercury-containing tubes from the EU market by 2023-2024.
• •Manufacturers must register all compliant light sources in the mandatory European Product Registry for Energy Labelling (EPREL) database before commercialization.

Government, statistical and trade sources used for this Claight analysis.

• Eurostat Statistical Classification of Economic Activities (NACE Rev. 2) ·
• LightingEurope Strategy 2030 (published 2024) ·
• LightingEurope Political Manifesto 2024-2029 ·
• European Commission Single Lighting Regulation (EU) 2019/2020 ·
• EU Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Directive 2011/65/EU and 2022/2023 Amendments