Accounting for 40% of sales, Europe remains our largest sales region, followed by Asia, Africa, Australasia (30%), North America (18%) and Latin America (12%). At € 3,959 million, sales in Europe were 5.7% higher than in 2010. Within this region, Germany is the top-selling country (+6%, € 826 million in 2011 compared to € 779 million in 2010), followed closely by France (+2.4%, € 731 million in 2011 compared to € 714 million in 2010) and less closely by Italy (+2.8%, € 376 million in 2011 compared to € 366 million in 2010).
Within Europe, France contributed the highest share of pharmaceutical sales in the Merck Serono and Consumer Health Care divisions, then followed by Germany. Like many other European countries, both these markets recorded sales declines with prescription drugs. By contrast, we generated increasing revenues with prescription drugs in some eastern European countries.
Both Chemicals divisions achieved sales growth in Europe. The increase in the Merck Millipore division was higher than in Performance Materials. However, this is the result of limited comparability since in the previous year, Merck Millipore’s sales were only consolidated as of July 2010.
Merck Group | Sales by region
Asia, which is the second-largest sales region of the Merck Group, achieved sales growth of 16% to € 2,674 million. With sales of € 587 million (+26% compared to € 468 million in 2010), Japan is our largest market in Asia. Prescription drugs, the Performance Materials and Merck Millipore divisions each accounted for roughly the same share of sales in Japan. Ranking second in Asia, Taiwan generated sales of € 581 million, which was at the same level as in 2010. Business in Taiwan is dominated by the liquid crystals activities of our Performance Materials division, which are also mixed locally in Taiwan for our customers and account for 89% of sales in the country. China, including Hong Kong, generated sales of € 412 million (+50% or € 137 million more than in 2010) ranked third in terms of our sales in Asia. Prescription drugs accounted for 53% of sales in China, which doubled. Merck Millipore and Performance Materials each accounted for almost one-quarter of our sales in China. With sales of € 401 million (+11% compared to € 360 million in 2010), South Korea ranks fourth in Asia followed by India, where sales totaled € 179 million (+15% compared to € 156 million in 2010). More than half of our sales in India are attributable to Merck Millipore; slightly more than one-third to Merck Serono.
Sales in North America, our third-largest sales region, grew by 17% to € 1,789 million. The United States accounted for 92% of this figure, with sales increasing by 17% to € 1,642 million from €1,403 in 2010. Merck Millipore’s contribution more than doubled to now more than one-third of our U.S. sales. A declared aim of the acquisition of Millipore was to increase our sales contribution from the Chemicals business sector in the United States. Prescription drugs from the Merck Serono division generated 59% of our sales in the United States.
In Latin America, Brazil is our largest market, followed by Mexico. We increased our sales in Brazil by 13% to € 404 million in 2011 from € 359 million in 2010. Merck Serono accounted for 79% and Merck Millipore for 16% of sales.
We consider Mexico to be a strategic market. Sales increased by 2.8% to € 204 million and were generated mainly by Merck Serono (70%). Consumer Health Care accounted for 15% of sales and Merck Millipore for 10% of sales.
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