More data shows EU cloud companies are struggling to compete with US giants

New data claims European companies hold 15% of the European cloud market, down from 29% in 2017
Amazon, Microsoft and Google hold a combined 70% of the European market
Geopolitical tensions could change things somewhat

New data from Synergy Research has claimed European providers of cloud storage and other services only account for 15% of their own regional market, highlighting the hold that US rivals have even in foreign territories.

Overall market share dropped to around 15% in 2022, remaining steady ever since, but in the five years from 2017 to 2022 European cloud providers lost half of their share, down from 29%.

While European providers were able to triple their revenues between 2017 and 2024, the market grew sixfold in that same period – it’s now worth an estimated €61 billion.

Europe’s cloud market is dominated by… the US

Amazon, Microsoft and Google now control around 70% of the European cloud market, Synergy found, with SAP and Deutsche Telekom confirmed to be the leading EU providers, but with just 2% of the market each. OVHcloud, Telecom Italia and Orange rounded up the top five.

Synergy described the dominance of US cloud giants as an “impossible hill to climb” for European challengers, with US providers typically investing around €10 billion every single quarter into European infrastructure. On the flip side, European firms typically lack the long-term investment support required by the cloud sector.

“The cloud market is a game of scale where aspiring leaders have to place huge financial bets, must have a long-term view of investments and profitability, must maintain a focused determination to succeed, and must consistently achieve operational excellence,” Synergy Chief Analyst John Dinsdale explained.

However, change could be on the horizon with data privacy issues bubbling to the surface under Trump-era US policies – as Microsoft recently admitted it can’t guarantee data sovereignty in Europe if the US government demands access.

Still, Dinsdale believes the US cloud dominance could be hard to shake off now that it’s embedded in Europe: “While many European cloud providers will continue to grow, they are unlikely to move the needle much in terms of overall European market share.”