Merck & Co. Statistics By Facts, Revenue, Total Assets, Total Employees, Sales, Cash Dividends, Capital Expenditures And Common Shares

Maitrayee Dey
Written by
Maitrayee Dey

Updated · Nov 25, 2024

Rohan Jambhale
Edited by
Rohan Jambhale

Editor

Merck & Co. Statistics By Facts, Revenue, Total Assets, Total Employees, Sales, Cash Dividends, Capital Expenditures And Common Shares

Introduction

Merck & Co. Statistics: One of the foremost pharmaceutical companies, Merck & Co., has managed to secure a firm hold in the market by coming up with innovative solutions, particularly in the healthcare sector, focusing on oncology, vaccines, and animal health. Merck has had a good year from a financial perspective, even as it has inched forward in its research and development capabilities and improved the status of healthcare provision globally.

Here is a close analysis of various Merck & Co. statistics for the year 2024: revenue and growth rate, market share, research investments, and so on.

Editor’s Choice

  • Merck & Co. statistics reveal that the company recorded higher revenues in 2023, with the figure standing at approximately $60.1 billion, rising from $59.3 billion in 2022.
  • Between 2022 and 2023, Keytruda’s drug revenue increased by almost $4 billion. Sales of vaccines, specifically Gardasil/Gardasil 9, also contributed significantly to the revenue growth.
  • Research and development have remained a key focus for the company, as evident in its R&D spending, which grew to an all-time high of $30.5 billion in 2023.
  • In 2023, Merck’s total assets reached $106.68 billion, reflecting an increase of $22.28 billion since 2019.
  • The total number of full-time employees in the company was about 72,000 in 2023, which is a drop from the approximately 100,000 employees the firm had in 2009.
  • Merck & Co. statistics show that Keytruda is anticipated to become the world’s best-selling drug by 2024, achieving sales revenue figures of over $27 billion.
  • This also underscores the growing attention directed towards the treatment of cancer, as spending on oncology worldwide in 2023 exceeded $218 billion, which is more than twice the figure six years before.
  • Also, the Company’s capital expenditures in 2023 were $3.9 billion for its plants, equipment, and technology. In 2023, Merck had approximately 2.54 billion common shares outstanding.
  • Furthermore, it had been reported in 2019 that the Company had nearly 110,000 stockholders of record.
  • Merck & Co. statistics indicate that in 2023, Merck’s net sales reached $22.2 billion, which is a reduction of 5.6% over last year.
  • The negative impact of exchange rates, especially on the Chinese renminbi, US dollar, and Argentine peso, accounted for a significant drop in sales of approximately $952 million.
  • There was a decrease in revenues in the Life Science and Electronics sectors, while the Healthcare sector witnessed an upturn.
  • Exclusively looking at the Life Science sector, sales fell 10.6 % because of organic impacts and the impact of foreign exchange rates.
  • According to Merck & Co. statistics, the healthcare division recorded a 2.7 % net sales growth, with most of the currency headwinds being mitigated by organic growth.
  • A decrease was noted in the Electronics sector as well, although the downturn was less pronounced owing to the purchase of M Chemicals Inc. in Korea.
  • From the overall backlog of $6.3 billion as of 2022, Merck had order backlogs of about $4.2 billion as of December 31, 2023.

Merck & Co. Key Facts

  • Established in 1891, Merck & Co., Inc. is one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world, generating revenue that surpasses $60 billion annually.
  • Merck’s history dates back to 1668 in Germany when Jacob Friedrich Merck bought a little pharmacy and began drug production.
  • Later on, Merck developed in other regions of the world as well. A subsidiary was founded on the territory of the United States in 1891 under the name – “Merck & Co.”
  • However, the American branch was confiscated by the government at the time of the First World War in the year 1917, and this is how Merck & Co. assumed the status of a separate American company.
  • Merck & Co. has a strong emphasis on R&D and provides many types of products, including vaccines, oncology, animal health and others.
  • Among these are drugs meant for one of the problems prevalent around the world today –diabetes – which has effective drugs.
  • Merck & Co. statistics reveal that one of the types of diabetics’ medications, Januvia (sitagliptin), considered to be free from the danger of causing weight gain, earned $2.2 billion in sales in the year 2023.
  • However, in terms of sales, Merck’s most successful drug is a very potent anticancer agent, Keytruda.
  • As a worldwide corporation, Merck & Co. almost make more than half of their revenue from international markets.
  • Merck & Co. statistics indicate that as of 2023, Merck operates in over 100 countries and has about 72,000 employees, with its total assets standing at around $107 billion.

Merck & Co. Revenue

Revenue Of Merck & Co. From 2006 To 2023(Reference: statista.com)

  • Merck & Co. statistics show that in 2023, Merck & Co. experienced an upsurge in revenue compared to the previous year, with estimates rising from $59.3 billion in 2022 to approximately $60.1 billion.
  • In 2021, the company separated its women’s health, biosimilars, and established brands into a sister company, Organon & Co, which is publicly traded. Most of Merck’s revenue comes from the pharmaceutical division, which consists of products for human health and vaccines.
  • The biggest segment of its pharmaceutical sales is dedicated to oncology treatment and associated results.
  • Merck’s cancer drug – Keytruda – has recorded impressive growth, with revenue rising by nearly $4 billion in the period between 2022 and 2023.
  • Additionally, a rise in the marketing of vaccine products, in particular Gardasil/Gardasil 9, a vaccine that protects against certain cancers, also aided in increasing revenues for Merck in the year 2023.
  • For this reason, Merck focuses on developing products such as Keytruda and Gardasil that are likely to be commercially successful.
  • Considering the importance of research and development in the global pharmaceutical market, Merck has devoted $10 billion for the past years and a historical high of $30.5 billion in R&D costs in the year 2023.

Merck & Co. Total Assets

Total Assets Of Merck & Co From 2019 To 2023(Reference: statista.com)

  • Merck & Co. statistics reveal that in the year 2023, it disclosed its total assets amounting to $106.68 billion.
  • Most organizations have their accounting periods ending on December 31, and so does Merck.
  • Now, if we go back to the year 2019, the total assets belonging to the company Merck have appreciated in value by around $22.28 billion.
  • This growth, however, was not uniform or consistent every year. The upward change in total assets, rather, was experienced over some periods, and therefore, the growth trend was not continuous.

Merck & Co. Total Employees

Employees Of Merck & Co. From 2008 To 2023(Reference: statista.com)

  • Merck & Co. statistics show that in 2023, the estimated workforce of the company was around 72,000 full-time employees, although, in 2009, the number of employees peaked when the company employed approximately 100,000 people worldwide.
  • Currently, Merck operates in many areas of interest that are aimed at managing a wide variety of diseases. It is organized into several units, such as animal health, human health, and vaccines. The company has been able to generate varying revenue figures over the past years.
  • Nonetheless, these figures for 2023 have shown an upsurge.
  • While there is growth in revenues, the company’s total assets have rather generally decreased in the last ten years, with an exceptional increase from $91.6 billion in 2020 to $109 billion in 2022.
  • In 2021, the company occupied the fifth position in the global vaccine market share, together with the likes of GlaxoSmithKline, Sanofi, and Pfizer.
  • Merck is still one of the leading pharmaceutical companies, particularly buoyed by the robust sales of cancer drugs. In 2023, that distinction was claimed by Keytruda, an immunotherapy product intended for use in several specific malignancies.

Leading Drugs Based On Projected Sales

Leading Drugs Worldwide Based On Projected 2024 Sales(Reference: statista.com)

  • Merck & Co. statistics show that in 2023, Keytruda is anticipated to be the leading therapy worldwide for breast cancer, being one of the oncology drugs with sales injunctions exceeding $27 billion.
  • Changes were made in these forecasts according to data encountered in volume changes above for December 2023 and predicted the most sold drugs in the year 2024.
  • Because of the loss of a patent in the country, Humira, which is an invention of AbbVie, will not be within the top ten selling drugs in the year twenty twenty-one again.
  • As observed with the projected sales growth for Keytruda in 2024, revenues from products targeting cancer are becoming a major focus for pharmaceutical companies – indeed, between 2022 and 2023, Keytruda’s revenue was approximately $4 billion.
  • This is part of a larger trend in global oncology spending, to which $218 billion was devoted in 2023, which is more than double the figure of $102 billion registered six years ago.
  • Willingness to Invest in Cancer Therapies Is Forecasted to Advance Even More, As Firms Including Johnson And Johnson, AstraZeneca, And Merck Are Projected to Dominate the Oncology Market by 2030.
  • The emergence of drugs such as Keytruda is changing the dynamics of competition in the drug industry. The firm that produces Keytruda, Merck & Co., grew its total sales to $60.1 billion in 2023, chiefly due to its sales of oncology related products.
  • The proposal by Merck to spend significantly on research and development in the year 2023 indicates that the company aims to invest in research and development, which is vital in decision-making in this competitive industry.
  • The changing landscape in the rank of top-selling drugs available on the market, such as the predicted fall of Humira in the top 10 lists as the patent expires, indicates the necessity for pharmaceutical organizations to constantly invent to take up or defend their market positions.

Merck & Co. Declared Cash Dividends

Cash Dividends Declared By Merck & Co. From 2006 To 2023(Reference: statista.com)

  • Merck & Co. statistics illustrate the cash dividends declared by Merck & Co. Inc. between the years 2006 and 2023. As one of the leading pharmaceutical companies globally, Merck has always returned value to its shareholders in the form of dividends.
  • In the year 2023, the pharmaceutical company located in Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, announced cash dividends amounting to nearly 7.6 billion USD.
  • This value shows the overall amount of money distributed to the shareholders of Merck over the years, the profits it has made, and the intention to return the profits to the shareholders.

Merck & Co. Capital Expenditures

Capital Expenditures Of Merck & Co. From 2009 To 2023(Reference: statista.com)

  • Merck & Co.’s statistics presented a series of capital expenditure trends for Merck & Co. for the global corporation from 2009 to 2023.
  • The capital expenditure of Merck in 2023 was around $3,9 billion. This represents the company’s outlay on facilities construction, machinery purchase, and purchase of equipment and technology, among others, necessary for performing the company’s functions and growing the corporation.
  • This expenditure is crucial to Merck as it enables it to retain and increase its production capacity in carrying out its business in the global pharmaceutical industry.

Merck & Co. Outstanding Common Shares

Number Of Merck & Co.'s Common Shares Outstanding From 2009 To 2023(Reference: statista.com)

  • Merck & Co. statistics illustrate the annual average number of common stocks outstanding for Merck & Co from 2009 to 2023.
  • As of 2023, the number of average common shares outstanding at Merck reached roughly 2.54 billion.
  • Outstanding shares are the total number of shares of stock that are owned by all the shareholders, including, but not limited to, institutional and internal investors; this structural ownership is of note as it aids in assessing the earnings per share and market cap of the company, amongst other metrics.
  • Throughout the investee’s lifetime, external factors, such as buyback of the shares issued, further issue of shares, or a split of the shares on hand, may cause this figure to change.

Merck & Co. Total Stockholders

Total Number Of Merck & Co.'s Stockholders From 2009 To 2019(Reference: statista.com)

  • Merck & Co. statistics show the number of people or organizations that owned shares of Merck & Co. at the end of every year from 2009 to 2019.
  • By the close of 2019, the number of shareholders for Merck & Co. stood at approximately 110,000.
  • This number is the count of the registered shareholders and, hence, does not include those who may hold shares through brokers or any other organized intermediate.
  • In this way, such dynamics in the counting of investors over a certain period may help gauge the attractiveness of the company and its investor base during these years.

Merck & Co. Net Sales

  • In the financial year 2023, net sales of the Merck group were about 22.2 billion dollars (in comparison to Merck’s 23.5 billion dollars in 2022), which is a decrease of about 1.3 billion dollars or -5.6% year-on-year.
  • Merck & Co. statistics indicate that Negative exchange rate impacts led to a decline in net sales by approximately 952 million USD or -4.1% as a result of the change in the Chinese renminbi, the dollar and the Argentinean peso. On a constant currency basis, sales were down 377 million or -1.6%.
  • Net Sales in the Life Science and Electronics segments registered a decline, while the Healthcare segment posted an organic rise.
  • A portfolio-related increase in net sales of $20 million stemmed largely from Merck’s purchasing.
  • In the Life Science segment, year-on-year sales revenue dropped by about $1.2 billion, which is a decrease of -10.6%, to $9.8 billion as compared to $11 billion in the year 2022.
  • The primary factor contributing to this drop was organic effects worth $872 million or -7.9% and exchange rate effects of -2.7% or $303 million.
  • The Life Science sector accounted for the highest proportion of net sales at 44% in Merck Group (in comparison to 47% in the year 2022), while the next was the Healthcare sector at 38% (where it was 35% in 2022).
  • Net sales of Health Care Services increased by around 230 million dollars, which is 2.7% year on year, to amount to 8.5 Million USD, which was up from 8.3 Billion USD.
  • Negative impacts from currency fluctuations of -5.8% were also present but were mitigated by 8.5% growth in the core business segment.
  • The Electronics segment experienced a downfall in net sales by $374 million, amounting to $3.8 billion in 2023 (compared to $4.2 billion in 2022) due to organic varia, which contributed to -5.1% and exchange rate variations with -4.1%.
  • This was slightly diluted by a growth of 0.3 % from the acquisition of M Chemicals Inc., Korea, thereby sustaining Electronics’ contribution to group net sales at 18% from the previous year.
  • Construction Order Backlog in terms of Net Sales as of December 31, 2023, was about $4.2 billion (decreased from $6.3 billion in 2022), and around $3.2 billion was for orders in the Life Science Industry (which was less than $4.2 billion in 2022).

Conclusion

Merck & Co. statistics will keep climbing the growth ladder owing to the company’s solid drug development pipeline and its extensive global reach. With launches on the horizon and additional penetration into developing markets, CAGRs of 5-6% have been projected for revenues in the year 2025’.

The strategy of embracing new therapies, especially within the scope of cancer and vaccine treatment, enhances Merg’s relevance to healthcare across the globe.

FAQ.

What was Merck & Co.’s revenue in the year 2023?

According to estimates, the revenue of Merck & Co. totalled about $60 billion in the year 2023. This represents a slight increase from the revenue of $59 billion recorded in 2022. This increase has primarily resulted from strong performance in oncology drugs, notably Keytruda, and vaccine sales that included Gardasil/Gardasil 9.

How much did Merck allocate to research and testing activities in 2023?

Merck’s research and development (R&D) investments reached an all-time high of $30.5 billion marking the company’s resolve to be at the forefront of developing new products in the pharmaceutical segment, especially in the areas of cancer and vaccine therapies.

What drugs did Merck achieve their greatest financial success in 2023?

Merck’s revenue in 2023 was also contributed by sales of several drugs, including Keytruda, which is an immunotherapy drug for the treatment of cancer, and Januvia diabetes drug. Ketruda alone is projected to generate over $27 billion in sales in 2024, making it one of the best-selling drugs in the world.

How many employees did Merck have in 2023?

In 2023, Merck employed about 72,000 full-time workers around the world in 2023, a slight reduction from its all-time high of around 100,000 workers in 2009. The firm is active in areas such as human health, vaccines, and animal health.

What were Merck’s net sales in 2023?

Merck’s net sales in the year 2023 are estimated to be around $22.2 billion, representing a fall of 5.6% as compared to the sales that were made in 2022. This was mainly due to unfavorable effects of the exchange rate, especially the Chinese RMB, American dollar, and Argentine peso, which saw declines in the Life Science and Electronics sales.

Maitrayee Dey
Maitrayee Dey

Maitrayee, after completing her graduation in Electrical Engineering, transitioned into the world of writing following a series of technical roles. She specializes in technology and Artificial Intelligence, bringing her experience as an Academic Research Analyst and Freelance Writer, with a focus on education and healthcare under the Australian system. From an early age, writing and painting have been her passions, leading her to pursue a full-time career in writing. In addition to her professional endeavors, Maitrayee also manages a YouTube channel dedicated to cooking.

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