<p>There are several criteria (or key figures) to list the world's "largest" companies, giving quite different lists:</p>

<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.wikiwand.com/en/List_of_largest_companies_by_revenue" rel="nofollow noreferrer">revenue</a> (in \$)</li>
<li>profit (in \$)</li>
<li>assets (in \$)</li>
<li><a href="https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Market_capitalization" rel="nofollow noreferrer">market capitalization</a> (in \$)</li>
<li>number of employees</li>
</ul>

<p>For <strong>any</strong> company the following key figure or <a href="https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Financial_ratio" rel="nofollow noreferrer">financial ratio</a> makes sense (for investors mainly), depending on the exact definitions of "profit" and "revenue":</p>

<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Profit_margin" rel="nofollow noreferrer">profit margin</a> = profit / revenue</li>
</ul>

<p>For <a href="https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Public_company" rel="nofollow noreferrer">public companies</a> the following key figures / criteria / financial ratios make sense, too:</p>

<ul>
<li>wage per employee = average wage (in \$) = total wages / number of employees </li>
<li>median wage (in \$)</li>
<li>minimal/maximal wage (in \$)</li>
<li>revenue per employee (in \$)</li>
<li>profit per employee (in \$)</li>
<li>assets per employee (in \$)</li>
<li>market capitalization per employee (in \$)</li>
</ul>

<blockquote>
  <p><strong>Where do I find concise overviews and comparisons of such numbers for large companies like <a href="https://www.wikiwand.com/en/List_of_largest_companies_by_revenue" rel="nofollow noreferrer">these</a> (sorted by revenue)</strong> (yellow = state-owned enterprise):</p>
</blockquote>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/pDXfm.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/pDXfm.png" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>

<p><em><sub>[Please tell me better tags for this question than those I have used!]</sub></em></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-08-12T20:52:58.657Z
It may help potential answerers if you could include the purpose for the use of the data. Most of the figures you asked for can be computed/tabulated if you have an access to a [Bloomberg Terminal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloomberg_Terminal) or [Compustat database](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compustat).
Herr K.
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-08-12T21:09:04.007Z
@HerrK.Thanks for your hint. What kind of purpose is "just want to know"? Including if these questions are *asked* by others (revenue/profit/assets per employee as key figures) and *answered* by the databases you mention: median/min/max wage?
Hans-Peter Stricker
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-08-13T04:51:16.540Z
OK, can you describe the real-world problem that you are trying to solve? (as per the help centre's guidance: "You should only ask practical, answerable questions based on actual problems that you face.")
410 gone
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-08-13T07:59:10.440Z
The real world problem is: To identify those large companies with a bad ratio of profit (margin) to expenses for environmental protection and other [SDGs](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainable_Development_Goals).
Hans-Peter Stricker
<reference-request><data-request><industrial-organisation>
The world's largest companies
Hans-Peter Stricker
# The world's largest companies

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-08-12)

There are several criteria (or key figures) to list the world's "largest" companies, giving quite different lists:

* [revenue](https://www.wikiwand.com/en/List_of_largest_companies_by_revenue) (in \$)
* profit (in \$)
* assets (in \$)
* [market capitalization](https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Market_capitalization) (in \$)
* number of employees

For **any** company the following key figure or [financial ratio](https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Financial_ratio) makes sense (for investors mainly), depending on the exact definitions of "profit" and "revenue":

* [profit margin](https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Profit_margin) = profit / revenue

For [public companies](https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Public_company) the following key figures / criteria / financial ratios make sense, too:

* wage per employee = average wage (in \$) = total wages / number of employees
* median wage (in \$)
* minimal/maximal wage (in \$)
* revenue per employee (in \$)
* profit per employee (in \$)
* assets per employee (in \$)
* market capitalization per employee (in \$)

> **Where do I find concise overviews and comparisons of such numbers for large companies like [these](https://www.wikiwand.com/en/List_of_largest_companies_by_revenue) (sorted by revenue)** (yellow = state-owned enterprise):

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/pDXfm.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/pDXfm.png)

*[Please tell me better tags for this question than those I have used!]*

**Tags:** reference-request, data-request, industrial-organisation

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: It may help potential answerers if you could include the purpose for the use of the data. Most of the figures you asked for can be computed/tabulated if you have an access to a [Bloomberg Terminal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloomberg_Terminal) or [Compustat database](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compustat).  
> **username_0**: @username_1Thanks for your hint. What kind of purpose is "just want to know"? Including if these questions are *asked* by others (revenue/profit/assets per employee as key figures) and *answered* by the databases you mention: median/min/max wage?  
> **username_2**: OK, can you describe the real-world problem that you are trying to solve? (as per the help centre's guidance: "You should only ask practical, answerable questions based on actual problems that you face.")  
> **username_0**: The real world problem is: To identify those large companies with a bad ratio of profit (margin) to expenses for environmental protection and other [SDGs](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainable_Development_Goals).  

---

## 0 answers

