The current figures from the Federal Statistical Office show continued strong development of the security industry in Germany. Both sales and employee numbers are reaching new highs. At the same time, there are signs of a cautious easing on the labor market: despite increasing demand for security benefits, the number of job vacancies is falling slightly for the first time.
The industry’s sales are continuously growing
The security industry – statistically ranked under economic class 80 – has experienced remarkable expansion over the past ten years. While industry sales were 6.96 billion euros in 2015, they rose to 14.02 billion euros by 2024. For 2025, the Federal Association of the Security Industry (BDSW) predicts further growth to around 14.75 billion euros.
This means that the market volume has more than doubled within a decade. The development underlines the increasing importance of private security services for companies, public institutions and critical infrastructures.
Record number of employees
In parallel with sales growth, the number of employees is also rising to a historic high. As of June 30, 2025, a total of 290,871 people worked in the security industry. The largest share is made up of classic private guard and security services with 276,987 employees.
The increasing number of employees reflects the growing demand for security services – for example in property protection, at events or in the area of critical infrastructure.
The labor market is starting to relax
Although the market is expanding rapidly, a new dynamic is emerging in the labor market. In February 2026, 5,478 positions in the security industry were unfilled nationwide. This means that the number of open positions is slightly below the level of previous years.
Cornelia Okpara, General Manager of the BDSW, assesses this development positively: “Despite the growth, the number of vacancies has fallen slightly compared to previous years – an indication of successful employee retention and technological progress.” She adds: “The fact that the number of open positions is falling slightly despite the increasing number of orders is an important signal. It shows that our investments in being an employer are having an impact and we can fill vacancies more quickly.”
Technology is changing the industry
A key factor in easing tensions on the labor market is the increasing use of modern security technology. Companies are increasingly relying on the combination of qualified personnel and automated systems. “In addition, the industry is increasingly compensating for personnel requirements by intelligently linking people and technology, especially in the area of monitoring and alarm systems,” explains Okpara.
Video surveillance, intelligent sensor systems and networked alarm technology are increasingly taking over tasks that were previously only carried out by staff.
Structural change within the security industry
The industry structure is also changing significantly. While traditional detective agencies have declined sharply since 2014 – from 1,211 to 666 companies today – the area of private guard and security services is continuously growing.
There are currently 4,517 companies active in this segment. However, the need for personnel remains regionally distributed differently. There are particularly many vacancies reported:
- North Rhine-Westphalia with 1,137 vacancies
- Bavaria with 952 vacancies
- Lower Saxony with 489 vacancies
- Berlin with 474 vacancies
Professionalization remains a central task
The BDSW sees the current figures as confirmation of the professionalization course that has been taken. At the same time, the association warns against overestimating the slight relaxation on the labor market.
Despite growing automation, the need for qualified security specialists remains high. In the long term, the industry will only be able to maintain its growth momentum if it combines technological innovation with well-trained personnel.
The underlying statistics can be found here.