Baltics or Nordics: where should a brand have its products made?
The product decides first. Furniture is 8.21% of Lithuanian manufacturing and home textiles 1.07% of Estonian, the highest shares in the EU; Sweden has the most cosmetics enterprises and cleaning-product turnover of the five countries (Eurostat, 2024). Labour decides second: an hour cost EUR 14.9 to 19.5 in the Baltics in 2025, EUR 43.6 to 47.2 in the Nordics.
What decides between the Baltics and the Nordics?
Your product group, then the price of labour, then the size of manufacturer you need. Each product group leans on different countries; an hour of manufacturing labour costs about 2.2 to 3.2 times more in Finland and Sweden than in the Baltic states; and Nordic manufacturing enterprises turn over 2.9 to 5.5 times more on average (Eurostat; our division).
- Product group: where it is concentrated, in Eurostat's branch shares and in the number of manufacturers NordSourced lists.
- Labour cost: from EUR 14.9 an hour in Latvia to EUR 47.2 in Sweden in 2025.
- Scale: average manufacturing turnover per enterprise of EUR 1.15 million to EUR 1.80 million in the Baltic states against EUR 5.31 million to EUR 6.33 million in Finland and Sweden (2024).
- Currency: Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and Finland use the euro; Sweden uses the Swedish krona (European Union).
Where is each product group concentrated?
Furniture and home textiles in the Baltics, cosmetics and cleaning products in Sweden, food in all five. Furniture is 8.21% of Lithuanian manufacturing turnover and made-up textiles 1.07% of Estonian, the highest shares in the EU; Sweden has the most cosmetics enterprises of the five (203) and the most cleaning-product turnover (EUR 310 million) (Eurostat).
| Product group | Eurostat branch | Where it weighs most | Also worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cosmetics | C20.42 | Sweden: 203 enterprises, the most of the five, 10th in the EU | Finland: 61 enterprises with about EUR 2.4 million turnover each, the highest of the five |
| Food supplements | No branch of its own | No Eurostat figure | Use the directory counts below |
| Food and beverages | C10 | Latvia: 19.14% of manufacturing (7th of 27); Lithuania 17.34% | Sweden: the largest turnover, EUR 20.02 billion, but 6.9% of its manufacturing |
| Furniture and interior | C31 | Lithuania 8.21%, the highest share in the EU; Estonia 3.50% (2nd); Latvia 2.98% (3rd) | Sweden: the largest furniture turnover of the five, EUR 2.99 billion |
| Home textiles | C13.92 | Estonia 1.07%, the highest share in the EU; Lithuania 0.86% (2nd) | EU average 0.18% |
| Household and cleaning | C20.41 | Sweden: EUR 310 million of turnover, the most of the five | Finland: 92 enterprises, the most of the five |
How many manufacturers does NordSourced list in each country and group?
NordSourced lists 235 manufacturers in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia and 208 in Finland and Sweden. The Baltic states have more listed manufacturers of cosmetics, food supplements, furniture and interior products and home textiles; the Nordics have more of food and beverages and household and cleaning products.
| Product group | Latvia | Lithuania | Estonia | Finland | Sweden | Baltics | Nordics |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cosmetics | 13 | 11 | 15 | 17 | 19 | 39 | 36 |
| Food supplements | 12 | 15 | 19 | 10 | 12 | 46 | 22 |
| Furniture & interior | 18 | 18 | 15 | 19 | 29 | 51 | 48 |
| Food & beverages | 25 | 23 | 11 | 45 | 26 | 59 | 71 |
| Home textiles | 2 | 12 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 21 | 8 |
| Household & cleaning | 3 | 10 | 2 | 12 | 12 | 15 | 24 |
Each manufacturer is listed because its own website says it makes products for other brands, and a company that makes more than one kind of product counts in each of its groups.
Eurostat counts every enterprise in a branch and NordSourced only those that offer private label or contract manufacturing, so the two sets of numbers measure different things and should not be compared one to one.
How far apart is labour cost in the Baltics and the Nordics?
About 2.2 to 3.2 times. An hour of manufacturing labour cost EUR 14.9 in Latvia, EUR 16.4 in Lithuania and EUR 19.5 in Estonia in 2025, against EUR 43.6 in Finland and EUR 47.2 in Sweden; the EU average was EUR 35.0 (Eurostat). Baltic labour costs are rising faster, from a lower base.
| Country | Region | EUR per hour, 2025 | Change, Q4 2025 on Q4 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Latvia | Baltics | 14.9 | +7.4% |
| Lithuania | Baltics | 16.4 | +9.0% |
| Estonia | Baltics | 19.5 | +5.2% |
| Finland | Nordics | 43.6 | +2.9% |
| Sweden | Nordics | 47.2 | +3.4% |
| EU average (27 countries) | 35.0 | +3.7% |
Germany Trade & Invest (GTAI) summed it up for one pair of neighbours in March 2025: "Finnland kann bei den baltischen Arbeitskosten nicht mithalten" (Finland cannot keep up with Baltic labour costs). The quarterly change comes from Eurostat's release of 19 March 2026; the labour cost guide explains what the hourly figure does and does not tell you about a unit price.
What does your product decide for you?
Where to look first. For each group the table names the two countries with the most manufacturers listed on NordSourced and where Eurostat finds the branch weighs most. Where the two point to the same country, start there; where they differ, the directory count shows where manufacturers say on their own websites that they take orders from other brands.
| Your product | Most manufacturers listed on NordSourced | Where the branch weighs most (Eurostat) | Ranked lists |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cosmetics | Sweden (19), Finland (17) | Sweden: most enterprises of the five (203); Finland: fewest but largest | Baltic cosmetics manufacturers, Nordic cosmetics manufacturers |
| Food supplements | Estonia (19), Lithuania (15) | No Eurostat branch of its own | Baltic supplement manufacturers, Nordic supplement manufacturers |
| Furniture & interior | Sweden (29), Finland (19) | Lithuania (8.21%, highest in the EU), Estonia (3.50%), Latvia (2.98%) | Baltic furniture manufacturers, Nordic furniture manufacturers |
| Food & beverages | Finland (45), Sweden (26) | Latvia (19.14%) and Lithuania (17.34%) by share; Sweden by turnover (EUR 20.02 billion) | Baltic food and beverage manufacturers, Nordic food and beverage manufacturers |
| Home textiles | Lithuania (12), Estonia (7) | Estonia (1.07%, highest in the EU), Lithuania (0.86%) | Baltic home textile manufacturers, Nordic home textile manufacturers |
| Household & cleaning | Finland (12), Sweden (12) | Sweden by turnover (EUR 310 million); Finland by enterprises (92) | Baltic cleaning product manufacturers, Nordic cleaning product manufacturers |
What does each choice cost you?
Each choice costs something different. The Nordics cost more per hour of labour; the Baltics have smaller manufacturers on average and faster-rising labour costs; Sweden adds a currency; and a choice made on labour cost alone can take you away from the countries where your product group is made most. Each cost is below with its figure.
- Choosing Finland or Sweden costs you labour: an hour of manufacturing labour cost EUR 43.6 and EUR 47.2 there in 2025, against EUR 14.9 to EUR 19.5 in the Baltic states (Eurostat).
- Choosing the Baltic states costs you scale: their manufacturing enterprises turned over EUR 1.15 million to EUR 1.80 million each on average in 2024, against EUR 5.31 million to EUR 6.33 million in Finland and Sweden (our division of Eurostat figures), so ask about capacity before a large order.
- Choosing the Baltic states on today's labour cost costs you some certainty: total hourly labour costs rose 9.0% in Lithuania, 7.4% in Latvia and 5.2% in Estonia in the year to the fourth quarter of 2025, against 3.7% in the EU (Eurostat).
- Choosing Sweden costs a euro-based brand a currency: Sweden uses the Swedish krona, while the other four countries use the euro.
- Choosing Finland or Sweden for furniture costs you the specialisation: furniture is 0.82% of Finnish and 1.03% of Swedish manufacturing turnover, against 8.21% of Lithuanian (Eurostat).
- Choosing a Baltic country for cosmetics costs you breadth: Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia had 114, 107 and 71 cosmetics enterprises in 2024, against 203 in Sweden (Eurostat).
Which state agencies help a foreign buyer find a manufacturer?
Estonia's agency runs a sourcing service for them. Trade with Estonia offers "a free company-specific and extensive sourcing service" and names "flexible, small-scale precision production and private label production solutions" among what Estonian suppliers offer. Latvia publishes a database of exporters, Lithuania has the B2Lithuania platform, and Business Sweden's import service covers food and beverages only.
| Country | Service | What a buyer gets | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Latvia | LIAA database of exporters | Company profiles with main activity, turnover and export volume; no private label field | Price not stated |
| Lithuania | B2Lithuania | "A platform for finding Lithuanian manufacturers and service providers" in nine sectors, food and beverages among them; the page does not name its operator | Free, the page says |
| Estonia | Trade with Estonia sourcing service | An enquiry form, then a list of potential Estonian partners to contact directly or through the agency | Free |
| Finland | Business Finland | No supplier finder found on its home page | Not applicable |
| Sweden | Business Sweden, Try Swedish | Introductions to food and beverage companies only; 180 companies in its export programme | Price not stated |
Seen from Germany, the region is gaining weight. GTAI wrote in March 2025 that "Finnland, Estland, Lettland und Litauen werden als Beschaffungsmärkte voraussichtlich weiter an Bedeutung gewinnen" (Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are expected to gain further importance as sourcing markets).
Questions and answers
Is it cheaper to have products made in the Baltics than in the Nordics?
Labour is: an hour of manufacturing labour cost EUR 14.9 to EUR 19.5 in the Baltic states in 2025 and EUR 43.6 to EUR 47.2 in Finland and Sweden (Eurostat). A unit price also carries materials, packaging, batch size and development, so the gap in price depends on how much labour your product needs. Compare quotations for the same brief.
Which country in Northern Europe makes the most furniture?
By weight in its own manufacturing, Lithuania: furniture is 8.21% of its turnover, the highest share in the EU. By money, Sweden: EUR 2.99 billion of furniture turnover in 2024 against EUR 2.80 billion in Lithuania (Eurostat). NordSourced lists 29 furniture and interior manufacturers in Sweden and 18 in Lithuania that make for other brands.
Should I make cosmetics in Sweden or in the Baltics?
Sweden has the largest cosmetics branch of the five by number of enterprises: 203 in 2024 with EUR 334 million of turnover, against 114 in Latvia, 107 in Lithuania and 71 in Estonia (Eurostat). NordSourced lists 19 cosmetics manufacturers in Sweden and 39 in the three Baltic states, where an hour of labour costs less than half as much.
Where are home textiles made in the Baltics and the Nordics?
Estonia and Lithuania lean on them most: made-up textile articles such as bed linen and towels are 1.07% of Estonian and 0.86% of Lithuanian manufacturing, first and second in the EU, where the average is 0.18% (Eurostat, 2024). NordSourced lists 7 home textile manufacturers in Estonia and 12 in Lithuania that make for other brands.
Where are food supplements made in the Baltics and the Nordics?
Eurostat has no branch for food supplements, so the directory is the count to use: NordSourced lists 12 supplement manufacturers in Latvia, 15 in Lithuania, 19 in Estonia, 10 in Finland and 12 in Sweden. Each is listed because its own website says it makes for other brands.
Which countries make cleaning products for other brands?
Sweden has the most cleaning-product turnover of the five (EUR 310 million in 2024) and Finland the most enterprises, 92 (Eurostat). In the Baltic states the branch is small: 35, 42 and 25 enterprises in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. NordSourced lists 12 household and cleaning manufacturers in Sweden and 12 in Finland.
Where is the food industry largest?
Sweden has the largest food turnover of the five, EUR 20.02 billion in 2024, and Finland the second, EUR 12.36 billion. As a share of manufacturing, food weighs more in the Baltics: 19.14% in Latvia and 17.34% in Lithuania, against 7.97% in Finland and 6.9% in Sweden (Eurostat). NordSourced lists 59 food manufacturers in the Baltics and 71 in the Nordics.
Are all five countries in the EU and the euro area?
All five are EU member states: Finland and Sweden since 1 January 1995, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania since 1 May 2004. Four use the euro. Sweden uses the Swedish krona, and in the European Union's words "Sweden has committed to adopt the euro once it fulfils the necessary conditions."
Which Baltic manufacturers take a first order of 500 units or fewer?
22 manufacturers listed in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia publish a minimum order of 500 or fewer finished units, for example Allreasons, Amber Linen, Aukmergės baldai, Comco, Cosmetic Lab. Each figure belongs to one service, often a ready-made product rather than your own formula, so read what it covers on the manufacturer's profile; the labour cost guide lists them in a table.
Which Nordic manufacturers publish a minimum order?
13 of the 208 manufacturers listed in Finland and Sweden state a minimum order on their own website, among them Bars Production, Berner, Finnish Superberries, Kemvit, Labs Nutrition. For the others, ask for it in the first enquiry; the minimum order guide explains how to compare quantities in different units.
How many private label manufacturers are there in the Baltics compared with the Nordics?
NordSourced lists 235 in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia and 208 in Finland and Sweden, each because its own website says it makes products for other brands. The split by country and product group is in the table on this page. The ranked lists are on the Baltics and Nordics pages.
Are Nordic manufacturers larger than Baltic ones?
On average, yes. Manufacturing enterprises in Finland and Sweden turned over EUR 5.31 million and EUR 6.33 million each in 2024, against EUR 1.15 million in Latvia, EUR 1.34 million in Lithuania and EUR 1.80 million in Estonia (our division of Eurostat figures). An average says nothing about the one manufacturer you talk to, so ask about capacity.
Where to go next
Sources
- Eurostat, Enterprise statistics by size class and NACE Rev. 2 activity (sbs_ovw_act), reference year 2024, Eurostat. Checked 12 Oct 2026.
- Eurostat, Labour cost levels by NACE Rev. 2 activity (lc_lci_lev), manufacturing, 2025, Eurostat. Checked 12 Oct 2026.
- Labour cost index, fourth quarter of 2025 (euro indicators, 19 March 2026), Eurostat. Checked 13 Oct 2026.
- Estland, Lettland, Litauen und Finnland haben viel zu bieten (14 March 2025), Germany Trade & Invest (GTAI). Checked 13 Oct 2026.
- Sourcing for foreign enterprises, Trade with Estonia, Estonian Business and Innovation Agency. Checked 13 Oct 2026.
- Database of Latvian existing and future exporters, Investment and Development Agency of Latvia (LIAA). Checked 13 Oct 2026.
- B2Lithuania, B2Lithuania. Checked 13 Oct 2026.
- Business Finland, home page, Business Finland. Checked 13 Oct 2026.
- Try Swedish: import services, Business Sweden. Checked 13 Oct 2026.
- Latvia: country profile, European Union. Checked 13 Oct 2026.
- Lithuania: country profile, European Union. Checked 13 Oct 2026.
- Estonia: country profile, European Union. Checked 13 Oct 2026.
- Finland: country profile, European Union. Checked 13 Oct 2026.
- Sweden: country profile, European Union. Checked 13 Oct 2026.
Directory figures are counted from the manufacturers listed on NordSourced, each listed because its own website says it makes products for other brands; see how we check. This page is general information, not legal advice. Found a mistake? Tell us.