2.2. Turnover
The turn-over generated in 2006 amounted to over 54 billion Euros [3], compared to 44.5 billion in 2003
[1]. The 2006 figure shows an increase of 8.18% compared to 2005, while the Gross Domestic Product
(GDP) growth in Europe over the same period was limited to an average of 3%. The sector has
recorded an almost continuous growth since 1989. The sector’s steady and sustainable growth can be
explained mainly by the evolution of the market penetration of cleaning companies due to the
continuous outsourcing of services. The estimates show that, on average in all European countries, the
market penetration (i.e. the share of the global cleaning services contracted out to specialised cleaning
companies, the difference being performed in-house) increased from 43% in 1989 to 62% in 2006.
The analysis of turnover by country in 2003 shows th