In the 2025 business year, the BASF Group faced an uncertain, highly volatile global market environment with considerable headwinds. The Group achieved significant milestones in its ‘Winning Ways’ strategy implementation. 

However, the financials for 2025 did not develop as anticipated.

“We successfully started up the major plants at our new Verbund site in Zhanjiang. We also accelerated our cost savings programs and significantly streamlined BASF’s organization. Moreover, we progressed swiftly and successfully with the announced portfolio measures,” BASF CEO Dr. Markus Kamieth said. 

2025 Financials 

2025 sales stood at €59.7 billion, compared with €61.4 billion in the previous year. Negative currency effects, mainly relating to the U.S. dollar, the Chinese renminbi, and the Brazilian real, had a significant impact on sales.

Net income in 2025 rose to €1.6 billion compared to €1.3 billion in 2024. This resulted primarily from the year-on-year increase in net income from shareholdings. 

This increase was due to net special income of €1.3 billion (2024: €0.4 billion), primarily in connection with reimbursements to Wintershall Dea GmbH arising from the federal guarantees for expropriated assets in Russia.

EBITDA before special items decreased by €686 million year on year to €6.6 billion.

EBITDA before special items declined in the Chemicals, Industrial Solutions, Materials, and Nutrition & Care segments, mainly due to lower contribution margins. Slightly higher fixed costs also dampened earnings in the Materials segment. 

The Surface Technologies segment improved EBITDA before special items, mainly thanks to the significant increase in earnings in the Environmental Catalyst and Metal Solutions (ECMS) division. 

In the Agricultural Solutions segment, earnings increased mainly due to an improved contribution margin. Earnings in Other decreased slightly compared to the previous year.