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Pharmaceutical Wholesaling in Germany Industry Data and Analysis
In the period from 2021 to 2026, industry turnover grew by an average of 0.5% per year. This growth is primarily due to rising sales figures in the customer markets. In the past two years, however, energy price-related cost increases have had a significant negative impact on earnings. Despite the German government's relief packages and the statutory electricity and gas price brakes, total energy costs in the sector rose sharply by the end of 2023 compared to 2021. At the same time, the statutory price maintenance for prescription drugs did not allow cost increases to be passed on to downstream trade levels. An additional burden is posed by the increasing legal requirements of pharmaceutical policy that have been in place for years, such as the Supply Chain Duty of Care Act. Furthermore, structural changes in the pharmaceutical market are having an impact on the cost and earnings situation. While the proportion of cost-intensive medicines is growing, the number of high-priced medicines is also increasing. This means that increasingly expensive medicines tie up more and more capital and result in lower margins for medical wholesalers. This has led to falling profit margins over the last five years. Many stocks, such as antibiotics and cold and diabetes medicines, were unavailable or difficult to obtain in 2022 to 2025 due to exceptionally high demand and increasing inefficiency in the pharmaceutical industry, which led to supply bottlenecks in the wholesale sector.
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What's included in this industry analysis
IBISWorld's research coverage on the Pharmaceutical Wholesaling industry in Germany includes market sizing, forecasting, data and analysis from 2016-2031. The most recent publication was released January 2026.
About this industry
What's this industry report about?
The Pharmaceutical Wholesaling industry in Germany operates under the WZ industry code G46.46DE. Companies active in the wholesale of pharmaceuticals and medical products purchase pharmaceutical raw materials and prepared medicines from manufacturers in order to sell them on to retailers. The sector's activities also include the wholesale of orthopaedic products such as walking aids or shoe insoles as well as dental and laboratory supplies. Related terms covered in the Pharmaceutical Wholesaling industry in Germany include full-service wholesalers, generica and separation media.
What's included in this industry?
Products and services covered in Pharmaceutical Wholesaling industry in Germany include Prescription medicines, Laboratory equipment and medical supplies and Pharmacy-only medicines.
What companies are included in this industry?
Companies covered in the Pharmaceutical Wholesaling industry in Germany include Phoenix Pharma SE, Alliance Healthcare Deutschland GmbH and Sanacorp Pharmahandel GmbH.
Performance
What's included in the Performance chapter?
The Performance chapter covers detailed analysis, datasets, detailed current performance, sources of volatility and an outlook with forecasts for the Pharmaceutical Wholesaling industry in Germany.
Questions answered in this chapter include what's driving current industry performance, what influences industry volatility, how do successful businesses overcome volatility, what's driving the industry outlook. This analysis is supported with data and statistics on industry revenues, costs, profits, businesses and employees.
Products & Markets
What's included in the Products and Markets chapter?
The Products and Markets chapter covers detailed products and service segmentation and analysis of major markets for the for the Pharmaceutical Wholesaling industry in Germany.
Questions answered in this chapter include how are the industry's products and services performing, what are innovations in industry products and services, what products or services do successful businesses offer and what's influencing demand from the industry's markets. This includes data and statistics on industry revenues by product and service segmentation and major markets.
Geographic Breakdown
What's included in the Geographic Breakdown chapter?
The Geographic Breakdown chapter covers detailed analysis and datasets on regional performance of the Pharmaceutical Wholesaling industry in Germany.
Questions answered in this chapter include where are industry businesses located and how do businesses use location to their advantage. This includes data and statistics on industry revenues by location.
Competitive Forces
What's included in the Competitive Forces chapter?
The Competitive Forces chapter covers the concentration, barriers to entry and supplier and buyer profiles in the Pharmaceutical Wholesaling industry in Germany. This includes data and statistics on industry market share concentration, barriers to entry, substitute products and buyer & supplier power.
Questions answered in this chapter include what impacts the industry's market share concentration, how do successful businesses handle concentration, what challenges do potential industry entrants face, how can potential entrants overcome barriers to entry, what are substitutes for industry services, how do successful businesses compete with substitutes and what power do buyers and suppliers have over the industry and how do successful businesses manage buyer & supplier power.
Companies
What's included in the Companies chapter?
The Companies chapter covers Key Takeaways, Market Share and Companies in the Pharmaceutical Wholesaling industry in Germany. This includes data and analysis on companies operating in the industry that hold a market share greater than 5%.
Questions answered in this chapter include what companies have a meaningful market share and how each company is performing.
External Environment
What's included in the External Environment chapter?
The External Environment chapter covers Key Takeaways, External Drivers, Regulation & Policy and Assistance in the Pharmaceutical Wholesaling industry in Germany. This includes data and statistics on factors impacting industry revenue such as economic indicators, regulation, policy and assistance programs.
Questions answered in this chapter include what demographic and macroeconomic factors impact the industry, what regulations impact the industry, what assistance is available to this industry.
Financial Benchmarks
What's included in the Financial Benchmarks chapter?
The Financial Benchmarks chapter covers Key Takeaways, Cost Structure, Financial Ratios, Valuation Multiples and Key Ratios in the Pharmaceutical Wholesaling industry in Germany. This includes financial data and statistics on industry performance including key cost inputs, profitability, key financial ratios and enterprise value multiples.
Questions answered in this chapter include what trends impact industry costs and how financial ratios have changed overtime.
Industry Data
What's included in the Industry Data chapter?
The Industry Data chapter includes 10 years of historical data with 5 years of forecast data covering statistics like revenue, industry value add, establishments, enterprises, employment and wages in the Pharmaceutical Wholesaling industry in Germany.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the market size of the Pharmaceutical Wholesaling industry in Germany in 2026?
The market size of the Pharmaceutical Wholesaling industry in Germany is €144.8bn in 2026.
How many businesses are there in the Pharmaceutical Wholesaling industry in Germany in 2026?
There are 5,656 businesses in the Pharmaceutical Wholesaling industry in Germany, which has declined at a CAGR of 0.5 % between 2021 and 2026.
How may import tariffs affect the Pharmaceutical Wholesaling industry in Germany?
The Pharmaceutical Wholesaling industry in Germany is unlikely to be materially impacted by import tariffs with imports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.
How may export tariffs affect the Pharmaceutical Wholesaling industry in Germany?
The Pharmaceutical Wholesaling industry in Germany is unlikely to be materially impacted by export tariffs with exports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.
Has the Pharmaceutical Wholesaling industry in Germany grown or declined over the past 5 years?
The market size of the Pharmaceutical Wholesaling industry in Germany has been growing at a CAGR of 0.5 % between 2021 and 2026.
What is the forecast growth of the Pharmaceutical Wholesaling industry in Germany over the next 5 years?
Over the next five years, the Pharmaceutical Wholesaling industry in Germany is expected to grow.
What are the biggest companies in the Pharmaceutical Wholesaling industry in Germany?
The biggest companies operating in the Pharmaceutical Wholesaling industry in Germany are Phoenix Pharma SE, Alliance Healthcare Deutschland GmbH and Sanacorp Pharmahandel GmbH
What does the Pharmaceutical Wholesaling industry in Germany include?
Prescription medicines and Laboratory equipment and medical supplies are part of the Pharmaceutical Wholesaling industry in Germany.
Which companies have the highest market share in the Pharmaceutical Wholesaling industry in Germany?
The company holding the most market share in the Pharmaceutical Wholesaling industry in Germany is Phoenix Pharma SE.
How competitive is the Pharmaceutical Wholesaling industry in Germany?
The level of competition is high and steady in the Pharmaceutical Wholesaling industry in Germany.
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