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French survey offers sector overview
12th of January 2026 Article by Christian Bouzols
Reporting from France, Christian Bouzols brings news of a survey on the contract cleaning sector.
Every year, the Research and Development division of Le Monde de la Propreté produces a document presenting and analysing socio-economic data, providing an overview of the sector and the evolution of the cleaning industry in France.
From a global perspective, this study, published in September 2025, identifies more than 15,000 companies in the sector, employing nearly 600,000 people. Last year, they recorded a 4.3 per cent increase in activity compared to 2023. Although this growth is continuing, it remains significantly lower than in previous years (7.5 per cent in 2022 and 8.9 per cent in 2021).
A notable fact is the profitability of companies is declining again: according to the survey, 44 per cent of them suffered a drop in profitability in 2024. This is due to the global economic climate, marked by gloom and uncertainty, and increased budgetary constraints among customers. Employment growth is also slowing compared to the post-Covid rebound: one per cent in 2024 compared to five per cent in 2021.
If we stick to the figures, this 2024 outlook shows a total turnover of €21 billion for the sector. Eighty-two per cent of cleaning company employees are on permanent contracts, but only one-third of jobs are full-time. This means nearly half of employees (48 per cent) work for several companies.
While the status of employees within the sector is precarious, the image of these companies among the French public is very good. According to a BVA-Propreté survey conducted in 2025, 88 per cent of the population say that professionals in the sector play an essential role in ensuring health and safety.
Looking at the sector as a whole, this study shows companies with fewer than 50 employees account for 85 per cent of businesses and 25 per cent of employment.
Companies with more than 250 employees represent only three per cent of businesses but account for 54 per cent of employees and 43 per cent of total turnover.
Most cleaning companies are family-owned and family-run so decision-making power is mainly held by the founding family.
The working population in the sector is relatively older than that of all sectors combined. Twenty-four per cent of cleaning employees are aged 55 or over, and the average age is increasing every year (43 in 2023 compared to 40 in 2010). Sixty-four per cent are women.
Cleaning is one of the most dynamic sectors in terms of employment. In 2025, more than eight out of 10 companies plan to increase their workforce, despite a rather gloomy economic climate.
In fact, in the first quarter of 2025, only 54 per cent of managers say they are confident about the situation of their company (44 per cent of cleaning companies suffered a decline in profitability in 2024) and eight out of 10 companies say they are unable to fully pass on the increase in costs in their prices.
Cleaning companies, present in all sectors of activity, are directly affected by the national economic situation (low growth forecast of +0.7 per cent in 2025 according to Banque de France). Nor have they escaped the wave of inflation in recent years. Wages, with the minimum wage under collective agreements more than 4.2 per cent above the minimum wage (as of June 1 2025), have increased by 17 per cent in four years, in addition to changes in the prices of products, and other external costs.
However, according to the study, these changes have not been sufficiently recognised by public and private clients, who have been reluctant to raise prices in the same proportion. As a result, the profitability of companies has continued to decline since 2022, despite already relatively low profit margins, which are less than three per cent on average.
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