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Market Research & Public Opinion Polling in Europe - Market Size, Industry Analysis, Trends and Forecasts (2025-2030)

EU-M732 October 2025 Spotlight Report

Revenue

€25.2bn

2020-2025 1.2 %
2025-2030 X.X %

Employees

170k

2020-2025 1.3 %
2025-2030 X.X %

Businesses

54,964

2020-2025 0.4 %
2025-2030 X.X %

Wages

€X.Xbn

2020-2025 X.X %
2025-2030 X.X %

Market Research & Public Opinion Polling in Europe industry analysis

Market researchers investigate clients' target markets' behaviour, values and opinions, providing insights that allow them to tailor their products, services and marketing. Researchers rely on hefty European research and development expenditure to fuel demand for market research. The surge in digitalisation has opened new doors for market research providers while intensifying competition. Artificial intelligence is increasingly important in analysing, identifying and generating research insights from social media posts using a flood of data. Meanwhile, digital surveys have allowed research companies to expand their outreach, save resources and costs and often attain more accurate and comprehensive insights for clients.

European coverage with a localised twist

  • Market estimates from 2015-2030
  • Detailed reports analysing industry performance, market dynamics and company data, compared across countries
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About Spotlight Reports

Industry Statistics and Trends

Market Research & Public Opinion Polling in Europe key trends

Fluctuating research budget induces volatility.

 

Research and development budgets have displayed substantial volatility amid economic uncertainty and weak business sentiment.

Online media research provides promising growth opportunities.

 

According to the EU Commission, the number of EU enterprises using social media has been on the rise in the past five years, boosting demand for digital market research.

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Market Research & Public Opinion Polling in Europe

Industry Revenue

Total value and annual change from 2012-2030. Includes 5-year outlook.

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Market Research & Public Opinion Polling in Europe market size (2020-2025)

Industry revenue has declined at a CAGR of 1.2 % over the past five years, to reach an estimated €25.2bn in 2025.

Trends and Insights

Surge in digital advertising spurs Market Research growth in Europe, but AI disruption looms

  • The European market research and public opinion polling industry is set to see a jump in demand, driven by the accelerated growth of digital advertising budgets across the continent. According to IAB Europe's 2024 AdEx Benchmark Report (June 2025), digital ad spending in Europe surpassed €118.9 billion in 2024, marking a record 16% year-on-year growth and surpassing the €100 billion threshold for the first time in constant currency. According to the same report, digital advertising now accounts for 67.2% of total ad spending in Europe, up from just over 50% in 2020. This shift indicates advertisers' expanding reliance on digital channels, which, in turn, raises demand for robust market intelligence and data analytics to optimise campaigns. In particular, advertisers seek insights to enable audience segmentation, divide target markets into specific groups based on characteristics such as demographics or behaviour and develop cross-platform strategies that coordinate advertising efforts across multiple digital channels for maximum impact.

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Market Research & Public Opinion Polling in Europe outlook (2025-2030)

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

AI-led automation and predictive analytics will reshape market research in Europe

  • The European market research and public opinion polling sector is transforming significantly as agentic artificial intelligence (AI) gains traction. Unlike traditional automation, AI allows researchers to adjust surveys in real time and target specific audiences more precisely. This prevalence of AI is changing how research is carried out and the value companies can offer their clients.

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Revenue

€25.2bn

2020-2025 1.2 %
2025-2030 X.X %

Employees

170k

2020-2025 1.3 %
2025-2030 X.X %

Wages

€X.Xbn

2020-2025 X.X %
2025-2030 X.X %

European Leaders & Laggards

Europe Job Growth CAGR: 1.3 % *
  • Job Growth

Top 5 Countries

  1. Iceland +26.7%
  2. Malta +13.2%
  3. Switzerland +10.9%
  4. Romania +10.2%
  5. Bosnia & Herzegovina +9.2%

Bottom 5 Countries

  1. Ireland -6.7%
  2. Slovakia -5.4%
  3. Cyprus -4.4%
  4. Lithuania -4.1%
  5. United Kingdom -3.4%

* CAGR values are for the years 2020-2025.

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Biggest companies in the Market Research & Public Opinion Polling in Europe

Company
Market Share (%)
2025
Revenue (€m)
2025
Profit (€m)
2025
Profit Margin (%)
2025
Ipsos SA
2,560.6
307.3
12.0
Gartner Inc
784.0
149.0
19.0
IQVIA Holdings Inc
14,914.3
2,132.8
14.3

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Market Research & Public Opinion Polling in Europe

Products & Services Segmentation

Industry revenue broken down by key product and services lines.

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Top Questions Answered in this Report

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What is the market size of the Market Research & Public Opinion Polling industry in Europe in 2025?

The market size of the Market Research & Public Opinion Polling industry in Europe is €25.2bn in 2025.

How many businesses are there in the Market Research & Public Opinion Polling industry in Europe in 2025?

There are 54,964 businesses in the Market Research & Public Opinion Polling industry in Europe, which has grown at a CAGR of 0.4 % between 2020 and 2025.

Has the Market Research & Public Opinion Polling industry in Europe grown or declined over the past 5 years?

The market size of the Market Research & Public Opinion Polling industry in Europe has been declining at a CAGR of 1.2 % between 2020 and 2025.

What is the forecast growth of the Market Research & Public Opinion Polling industry in Europe over the next 5 years?

Over the next five years, the Market Research & Public Opinion Polling industry in Europe is expected to grow.

What does the Market Research & Public Opinion Polling industry in Europe include?

Consumer research and Media and coverage measurement research are part of the Market Research & Public Opinion Polling industry in Europe.

Which countries have the most businesses in the Market Research & Public Opinion Polling industry in Europe?

The European country with the most businesses in the Market Research & Public Opinion Polling industry is Russia.

How competitive is the Market Research & Public Opinion Polling industry in Europe?

The level of competition is moderate and increasing in the Market Research & Public Opinion Polling industry in Europe.

Related Industries

This industry is covered in 37 countries

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Table of Contents

About this industry

Industry definition

Market researchers investigate clients' target markets' behaviour, values and opinions, providing insights that allow them to tailor their products, services and marketing better. The industry also includes public opinion polling on political, economic and social issues. The primary users of market research are businesses, the media and political figures and parties. Targets include potential customers, actual customers, voters and other companies and organisations.

Related Terms

MEDIA MEASUREMENT RESEARCHPUBLIC OPINION POLLINGBUSINESS-TO-BUSINESS RESEARCH

What's included in this industry?

Consumer research Media and coverage measurement research Public opinion and election polling Business-to-business research

Companies

Ipsos SAGartner IncIQVIA Holdings Inc

Industry Code

ISIC 2006

732 - Market research and public opinion polling in Europe

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Performance

Key Takeaways

Surge in digital advertising spurs Market Research growth in Europe, but AI disruption looms

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Revenue Highlights

Trends
  • Revenue
  • 2025 Revenue Growth
  • Revenue Volatility

Employment Highlights

Trends
  • Employees
  • Employees per Business
  • Revenue per Employee

Business Highlights

Trends
  • Businesses
  • Employees per Business
  • Revenue per Business

Profit Highlights

Trends
  • Total Profit
  • Profit Margin
  • Profit per Business

Current Performance

Charts
  • Revenue in the Market Research & Public Opinion Polling in Europe industry (2012 -2030)
  • Employees in the Market Research & Public Opinion Polling in Europe industry (2012 -2030)
  • Business in the Market Research & Public Opinion Polling in Europe industry (2012 -2030)
  • Profit in the Market Research & Public Opinion Polling in Europe industry (2012 -2030)
Analysis

What's driving current industry performance in the Market Research & Public Opinion Polling in Europe industry?


Outlook

Analysis

What's driving the Market Research & Public Opinion Polling in Europe industry outlook?


Volatility

Analysis

What influences volatility in the Market Research & Public Opinion Polling in Europe industry?

Charts
  • Industry Volatility vs. Revenue Growth Matrix

Life Cycle

Analysis

What determines the industry life cycle stage in the Market Research & Public Opinion Polling in Europe industry?

Charts
  • Industry Life Cycle Matrix

Products and Markets

Highlights

Trends
  • Largest Market
  • Product Innovation

Key Takeaways

Digitalisation opens up new ways of researching consumers. The advent of automated data collection and online research tools has facilitated a shift away from some of the traditional and more invasive forms of market research, like telephone surveys.

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Products and Services

Charts
  • Products and Services Segmentation
Analysis

How are the Market Research & Public Opinion Polling in Europe industry's products and services performing?

Analysis

What are innovations in the Market Research & Public Opinion Polling in Europe industry's products and services?


Major Markets

Charts
  • Major Market Segmentation
Analysis

What influences demand in the Market Research & Public Opinion Polling in Europe industry?


International Trade

Highlights

  • Largest Importer
  • Smallest Importer
  • Total Imports into Europe
  • Largest Exporter
  • Smallest Exporter
  • Total Exports into Europe
Heat maps
  • Industry Concentration of Imports by Country
  • Industry Concentration of Exports by Country
Data Tables

Value and annual change (%) included

  • Number of Imports and Exports by European Country (2025)

Geographic Breakdown

Business Locations

Heat maps
  • Share of Total Industry Revenue by Region (2025)
  • Share of Total Industry Enterprises by Region (2025)
  • Share of Total Industry Employment by Region (2025)
  • Share of Total Industry Wages by Region (2025)

Industry Geographic Breakdown

Data Tables

Values and annual change provided for 37 European countries:

  • Revenue (2025)
  • IVA (2025)
  • Enterprises (2025)
  • Employment (2025)
  • Exports (2025)
  • Imports (2025)

Competitive Forces

Highlights

Trends
  • Concentration
  • Competition
  • Barriers to Entry
  • Substitutes
  • Buyer Power
  • Supplier Power

Key Takeaways

The scope for smaller companies to operate lowers concentration. By specialising in a particular area of market research like health, IT or political analysis, smaller companies have been able to distinguish themselves from their competitors and perform well.

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Supply Chain

Charts

Buyer and supply industries

Companies

Market Share

Charts
  • Industry Market Share by Company (2020-2025)

Companies

Data Tables

Top 9 companies by market share:

  • Market share (2025)
  • Revenue (2025)
  • Profit (2025)
  • Profit Margin (2025)

Data Tables
  • Countries of operation for Ipsos SA
  • Countries of operation for Gartner Inc
  • Countries of operation for IQVIA Holdings Inc
  • Countries of operation for Nielsen Holdings plc
  • Countries of operation for Dunnhumby Ltd
  • Countries of operation for WPP plc
  • Countries of operation for Kantar UK Ltd
  • Countries of operation for Motivaction International BV
  • Countries of operation for Doxa SpA

External Environment

Highlights

Trends
  • Regulation & Policy
  • Assistance

Key Takeaways

The 2018 GDPR is the main regulation that impacts the industry. It mandates explicit user consent, protecting personal data in EU operations.

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External Drivers

Analysis

What demographic and macroeconomic factors impact the Market Research & Public Opinion Polling in Europe industry?

Financial Benchmarks

Highlights

Trends
  • Profit Margin
  • Average Wage
  • Largest Cost

Key Takeaways

External competition induces intense price competition. The industry has faced greater external competition from businesses with their own market research and analysis teams, including management consultants, advertising agencies and technology specialists, restricting prices and profit.

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Cost Structure

Charts
  • Share of Economy vs. Investment Matrix
  • Industry Cost Structure Benchmarks:
    • Marketing
    • Depreciation
    • Profit
    • Purchases
    • Wages
    • Rent
    • Utilities
    • Other
Analysis

What trends impact cost in the Market Research & Public Opinion Polling in Europe industry?


Key Ratios

Data tables
  • IVA/Revenue (2015-2030)
  • Imports/Demand (2015-2030)
  • Exports/Revenue (2015-2030)
  • Revenue per Employee (2015-2030)
  • Wages/Revenue (2015-2030)
  • Employees per Establishment (2015-2030)
  • Average Wage (2015-2030)

Country Benchmarks

European Leaders & Laggards

Data Tables

Top and bottom five countries listed for each:

  • Revenue Growth (2025)
  • Business Growth (2025)
  • Job Growth (2025)

European Country Performance

Data Tables

Rankings available for 37 countries. Statistics ranked include:

  • IVA/Revenue (2025)
  • Imports/Demand (2025)
  • Exports/Revenue (2025)
  • Revenue per Employee (2025)
  • Wages/Revenue (2025)
  • Employees per Establishment (2025)
  • Average Wage (2025)

Structural Comparison

Data Tables

Trends in 37 countries benchmarked against trends in Europe

  • Concentration
  • Competition
  • Barriers to Entry
  • Buyer Power
  • Supplier Power
  • Volatility
  • Capital Intensity
  • Innovation
  • Life Cycle

Key Statistics

Industry Data

Data Tables

Including values and annual change:

  • Revenue (2015-2030)
  • IVA (2015-2030)
  • Establishments (2015-2030)
  • Enterprises (2015-2030)
  • Employment (2015-2030)
  • Exports (2015-2030)
  • Imports (2015-2030)
  • Wages (2015-2030)

Methodology

Where does IBISWorld source its data?

IBISWorld is a world-leading provider of business information, with reports on 5,000+ industries in Australia, New Zealand, North America, Europe and China. Our expert industry analysts start with official, verified and publicly available sources of data to build an accurate picture of each industry.

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

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.

To learn more about specific data sources used by IBISWorld's analysts globally, including how industry data forecasts are produced, visit our Help Center.