The shape of public money in Europe
What does €2.4 trillion look like? Below, each dot represents €10 billion in annual public procurement value. Countries are positioned geographically — but their visual weight comes from spending power, not land area.
Notice how the Netherlands (€100B) visually rivals countries five times its size. Belgium (€77B) punches far above its geographic footprint. And Germany's amber cluster dominates Central Europe with €400B — the continent's procurement heavyweight.
The EU Procurement Landscape
Annual public procurement value across 27 member states
What the cartogram reveals
This is not a geographic map — it is a value map. Countries are positioned roughly where they sit in Europe, but the cluster size is proportional to procurement spending, not territory.
Three patterns stand out:
1. The Big Four dominate. Germany (€400B), France (€300B), Italy (€200B), and Spain (€150B) account for over half of all EU procurement. Germany alone represents 17% of the total market.
2. Small countries, outsized markets. The Netherlands (€100B) and Belgium (€77B) together spend more on public procurement than the entire Iberian Peninsula. Their dot clusters are disproportionately large relative to geography — a signal for B2G companies that these markets punch above their weight.
3. Eastern Europe is underrepresented — for now. Poland (€80B) is the standout, but Romania (€25B), Hungary (€20B), and the rest of the east together barely match France. As EU cohesion funds flow and digital procurement expands, these clusters will grow.
Methodology
Values represent estimated annual public procurement expenditure (goods, services, and works) for 2025, based on European Commission procurement statistics, national statistical office data, and OECD Government at a Glance indicators. Figures include sub-national procurement (municipalities, regions) and are rounded to the nearest €5B for smaller markets.
The visualization uses a Fibonacci spiral distribution algorithm to arrange dots within each country cluster, producing an organic, evenly-spaced pattern that avoids grid artifacts.