Volkswagen has maintained its position at the top of the Fortune 500 Europe list for 2026, with the German automaker reporting revenues of $363 billion, a 3% increase.
Other firms to make the top five this year include Shell (which saw revenue fall by 5%), Glencore, BP and TotalEnergies, while the remainder of the top ten includes Stellantis, BMW Group, Mercedes-Benz Group, Banco Santander and BNP Paribas.
Combined revenues
The 500 firms featured in the list boast combined revenues of $15.5 trillion, an increase of 4% from the previous year.
For the first time in its four-year history, Germany no longer boasts the most companies on the list, with the UK accounting for 76 firms, compared with 73 for Germany and 66 for France.
The companies included in the ranking generated revenues equivalent to around half of Europe‘s GDP and 13% of global GDP.
Combined profits increased by 3% to just over $1 trillion, following a 5% decline in the previous year. However, the overall profit margin fell to 6.5%.
Elsewhere, employment across the companies featured declined by 1% to 34.6 million. At the same time, revenue per employee increased by 5%, while profit per employee rose by 4%.
‘Definitive benchmark’
“The Fortune 500 Europe is more than a numerical ranking; it is the definitive benchmark of European business scale and a live indicator of macroeconomic transformation,” commented Grethe Schepers, lists director Europe at Fortune. “When analyzed strategically, this list reflects current corporate success just as much as it maps where Europe is heading next.”
On a sector-by-sector basis, financial services is the most represented, accounting for 24% of total revenues, 40% of profits and 14% of employees. Financial services, energy, and motor vehicles and parts together account for more than half of the revenues and profits generated by the companies on the list.
Finally, the number of companies led by women increased to 43, representing 8.6% of the Fortune 500 Europe, and now standing at the highest level since the European rankings were introduced. BP, led by Meg O’Neill, is the top ranking female-led company.
The full list can be found here.
The Fortune 500 Europe Top 10 List
| Rank | Name | Revenues ($M) | Revenue Percent Change | Profits ($M) | Profits Percent Change | Assets ($M) | Employees | Change in Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Volkswagen | $363,090 | 3.42% | $8,260 | -32.71% | $756,772 | 628,893 | – |
| 2 | Shell | $273,731 | -5.29% | $17,837 | 10.83% | $370,350 | 85,000 | – |
| 3 | Glencore | $247,535 | 7.18% | $363 | $142,199 | 80,423 | – | |
| 4 | BP | $192,549 | -1.07% | $55 | -85.56% | $278,526 | 93,700 | 1 |
| 5 | TotalEnergies | $182,344 | -6.78% | $13,127 | -16.7% | $291,055 | 101,513 | -1 |
| 6 | Stellantis | $173,144 | 2.06% | $-25,229 | -526.26% | $229,160 | 259,206 | – |
| 7 | BMW Group | $150,524 | -2.24% | $8,227 | 4.36% | $312,314 | 154,540 | 1 |
| 8 | Mercedes-Benz Group | $149,126 | -5.29% | $5,799 | -47.47% | $299,984 | 158,324 | -1 |
| 9 | Banco Santander | $145,070 | -0.86% | $15,905 | 16.96% | $2,192,949 | 200,741 | 1 |
| 10 | BNP Paribas | $141,642 | -3.24% | $13,789 | 9.09% | $3,279,686 | 179,840 | -1 |
