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Private Security Services in Europe - Market Size, Industry Analysis, Trends and Forecasts (2025-2030)

EU-N801 June 2025 Spotlight Report

Revenue

€76.5bn

2020-2025 1.9 %
2025-2030 X.X %

Employees

2m

2020-2025 4.5 %
2025-2030 X.X %

Businesses

99,577

2020-2025 5.6 %
2025-2030 X.X %

Wages

€XX.Xbn

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

Private Security Services in Europe industry analysis

With guard and patrol services, armoured car operations and advanced surveillance solutions at its core, the industry has responded rapidly to evolving threats and operational demands. Large-scale occasions like the 2024 Paris Olympics and the UEFA European Football Championship have fuelled revenue spikes, with security budgets and staffing reaching historic highs. At the same time, persistent jumps in retail crime and a strained public law enforcement capacity have nudged businesses and authorities toward a broader reliance on private security providers. Private security revenue is projected to mount at a compound annual rate of 1.9% to €76.5 billion over the five years through 2025, including a hike of 1.6% in 2025.

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Industry Statistics and Trends

Private Security Services in Europe key trends

Europe's high-profile events amplify private security demand.

 

Major events such as royal occasions, the 2024 Summer Olympics and the UEFA European Football Championship are intensifying the need for private security for crowd control.

Cash usage is falling rapidly across Europe.

 

The growing use of contactless payments is shifting everyday transactions towards digital means, cutting demand for cash management services.

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Private Security Services in Europe

Industry Revenue

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

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Private Security Services in Europe market size (2020-2025)

Industry revenue has grown at a CAGR of 1.9 % over the past five years, to reach an estimated €76.5bn in 2025.

Trends and Insights

Major European events drove significant growth and contract wins

  • Europe has hosted several high-profile events, which have necessitated a major security presence and supported revenue growth. These one-off, large-scale deployments provided substantial short-term revenue spikes and supported overall top-line growth across the industry.

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Private Security Services in Europe outlook (2025-2030)

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

Slumping use of cash will weigh on some services, but promising growth opportunities in cybersecurity exist

  • In 2024, cash accounted for 52% of transactions in the eurozone, down from 59% in 2022 and 79% in 2016 according to Reuters. According to Sweden's central bank, in 2025, only 10% of transactions in Sweden were made with cash, with mobile payment systems like Swish and card payments dominating. The long-term trend of most European regions moving more towards a cashless society is on course, with contactless payments becoming even more commonplace.

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Revenue

€76.5bn

2020-2025 1.9 %
2025-2030 X.X %

Employees

2m

2020-2025 4.5 %
2025-2030 X.X %

Wages

€XX.Xbn

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

European Leaders & Laggards

Europe Job Growth CAGR: 4.5 % *
  • Job Growth

Top 5 Countries

  1. Romania +10.5%
  2. Serbia +7.0%
  3. Turkey +7.0%
  4. Cyprus +5.9%
  5. Bulgaria +5.3%

Bottom 5 Countries

  1. Iceland -6.0%
  2. Sweden +0.3%
  3. United Kingdom +0.3%
  4. Spain +0.7%
  5. Ireland +0.9%

* CAGR values are for the years 2020-2025.

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Biggest companies in the Private Security Services in Europe

Company
Market Share (%)
2025
Revenue (€m)
2025
Profit (€m)
2025
Profit Margin (%)
2025
Securitas AB
15,102.7
1,064.8
7.1
Atlas Ontario LP
N/A
N/A
N/A
Prosegur Compañía de Seguridad, SA
5,374.2
333.0
6.2

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Private Security Services 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 Private Security Services industry in Europe in 2025?

The market size of the Private Security Services industry in Europe is €76.5bn in 2025.

How many businesses are there in the Private Security Services industry in Europe in 2025?

There are 99,577 businesses in the Private Security Services industry in Europe, which has grown at a CAGR of 5.6 % between 2020 and 2025.

Has the Private Security Services industry in Europe grown or declined over the past 5 years?

The market size of the Private Security Services industry in Europe has been growing at a CAGR of 1.9 % between 2020 and 2025.

What is the forecast growth of the Private Security Services industry in Europe over the next 5 years?

Over the next five years, the Private Security Services industry in Europe is expected to grow.

What does the Private Security Services industry in Europe include?

Security guard services and Armoured car services are part of the Private Security Services industry in Europe.

Which countries have the most businesses in the Private Security Services industry in Europe?

The European country with the most businesses in the Private Security Services industry is Russia.

How competitive is the Private Security Services industry in Europe?

The level of competition is moderate and steady in the Private Security Services industry in Europe.

Related Industries

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Table of Contents

About this industry

Industry definition

Companies in the industry provide guard and patrol services, armoured car services and polygraph and fingerprint services. They also pick up and deliver money and offer security shredding of information on any media.

Related Terms

POLYGRAPH REMOTE GUARDINGCASH-IN-TRANSIT

What's included in this industry?

Security guard servicesArmoured car servicesFingerprint servicesPolygraph services

Companies

Securitas ABAtlas Ontario LPProsegur Compañía de Seguridad, SA

Industry Code

ISIC 2006

801 - Private security activities in Europe

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Performance

Key Takeaways

Major European events drove significant growth and contract wins

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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 Private Security Services in Europe industry (2012 -2030)
  • Employees in the Private Security Services in Europe industry (2012 -2030)
  • Business in the Private Security Services in Europe industry (2012 -2030)
  • Profit in the Private Security Services in Europe industry (2012 -2030)
Analysis

What's driving current industry performance in the Private Security Services in Europe industry?


Outlook

Analysis

What's driving the Private Security Services in Europe industry outlook?


Volatility

Analysis

What influences volatility in the Private Security Services in Europe industry?

Charts
  • Industry Volatility vs. Revenue Growth Matrix

Life Cycle

Analysis

What determines the industry life cycle stage in the Private Security Services in Europe industry?

Charts
  • Industry Life Cycle Matrix

Products and Markets

Highlights

Trends
  • Largest Market
  • Product Innovation

Key Takeaways

Falling cash usage curbs armoured car services demand. As transactions have moved towards digital platforms, the need for secure cash transport provided by private security companies has dropped.

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Products and Services

Charts
  • Products and Services Segmentation
Analysis

How are the Private Security Services in Europe industry's products and services performing?

Analysis

What are innovations in the Private Security Services in Europe industry's products and services?


Major Markets

Charts
  • Major Market Segmentation
Analysis

What influences demand in the Private Security Services 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

Big agencies use economies of scope to attract clients. Security agencies use their integrated security systems, including personnel and modern technology, to attract clients.

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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 10 companies by market share:

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

Data Tables
  • Countries of operation for Securitas AB
  • Countries of operation for Atlas Ontario LP
  • Countries of operation for Prosegur Compañía de Seguridad, SA
  • Countries of operation for Securalliance Group
  • Countries of operation for GardaWorld Corporation
  • Countries of operation for The Brink’s Company
  • Countries of operation for ISS A/S
  • Countries of operation for MITIE Group plc
  • Countries of operation for KÖTTER GmbH & Co KG Verwaltungsdienstleistungen
  • Countries of operation for Pond Security Service GmbH

External Environment

Highlights

Trends
  • Regulation & Policy
  • Assistance

Key Takeaways

Security guards need official training and licences. Many countries in Europe have a private security regulator that gives out permits to trained security guards.

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External Drivers

Analysis

What demographic and macroeconomic factors impact the Private Security Services in Europe industry?

Financial Benchmarks

Highlights

Trends
  • Profit Margin
  • Average Wage
  • Largest Cost

Key Takeaways

Security companies' profits rebound post-pandemic. As public events like sports matches and music concerts resumed in 2021, demand for crowd control surged, boosting revenue and profitability.

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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 Private Security Services 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.