27. Personnel Expenses and Employees
The content of this section is not part of the statutory audit of the annual financial statements but has undergone a separate limited assurance by our auditor.
The content of this section is voluntary, unaudited information, which was critically read by the auditor.
Personnel expenses
Expenses for wages and salaries, social security contributions and assistance, as well as for pensions totaled €11,241 million in 2024. The increase was mainly due to a higher wage and salary level.
Million € |
2024 |
2023 |
|---|---|---|
Wages and salaries |
9,022 |
8,773 |
Social security contributions and assistance expenses |
1,665 |
1,612 |
Pension expenses |
554 |
565 |
Personnel expenses |
11,241 |
10,950 |
Number of employees
As of December 31, 2024, the number of employees decreased to 111,822 employees compared with 111,991 employees as of December 31, 2023. The decline was primarily due to retirements and departures due to dormant employment as well as measures in connection with the cost savings program focusing on Europe. Staff increases in Asia Pacific, especially for the new Verbund site in Zhanjiang, China, had an offsetting effect.
Employees of joint operations are included in the number of employees relative to BASF’s share in the company. As of December 31, 2024, a total of 1,234 employees worked at joint operations (previous year: 1,210 employees).
The development of the number of employees in the BASF Group was distributed over the regions as follows:
|
2024 |
2023 |
|---|---|---|
Europe |
66,726 |
67,562 |
of which Germany |
50,602 |
51,406 |
North America |
15,969 |
16,060 |
Asia Pacific |
21,971 |
21,193 |
South America, Africa, Middle East |
7,156 |
7,176 |
BASF Group |
111,822 |
111,991 |
of which apprentices and trainees |
2,941 |
3,045 |
temporary staff |
2,105 |
2,305 |
The average number of employees was distributed over the regions as follows:
|
2024 |
2023 |
|---|---|---|
Europe |
66,941 |
67,617 |
of which Germany |
50,761 |
51,369 |
North America |
16,064 |
16,077 |
Asia Pacific |
21,616 |
20,822 |
South America, Africa, Middle East |
7,123 |
7,075 |
BASF Group |
111,744 |
111,590 |
of which apprentices and trainees |
2,670 |
2,715 |
temporary staff |
2,285 |
2,452 |
The average number of employees increased to 111,744 employees in 2024 (previous year: 111,590 employees).
The reasons for the development of the number of employees described above are also decisive to the development of the average number of employees.
On average, 1,221 employees worked at joint operations (previous year: 1,202 employees).
This content fulfills the Disclosure Requirements of the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS). The ESRS Index gives an overview of the references to the ESRSs in this report.