‌Download the dataset (xls)

Main findings

 

State-owned enterprises (SOEs) in the OECD area are valued at over 2 trillion USD and employ over 6 million people. Although they do not account for a particularly high share of the productive economy (2.5% of national employment on average), SOEs are highly concentrated in strategic sectors on which large parts of the private economy depend. Half of SOEs by value operate in the network industries (telecoms, electricity and gas, transportation and postal services).

 

The OECD Working Party on State Ownership and Privatisation Practices periodically gathers data on the size and composition of national SOE sectors. The latest dataset from end-2012 details the size of national SOE sectors in 34 countries (by company value and employment) and provides a breakdown of enterprises by sector and type of incorporation. The national data can be accessed directly here (excel).

 

More OECD work on corporate governance and SOEs