Coca-Cola vs Unilever: Revenue, Profit and Business Model
Coca-Cola reported $47.9B of revenue in FY2025 and $13.1B of net income. Unilever reported ~$57.1B of revenue in FY2025 and ~$10.7B of net income.
Latest financial snapshot
Financial summary
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola's financial profile comes from its asset-light franchise model. It sells concentrates and syrups to independent bottlers, which own the capital-intensive plants, trucks and coolers, so the parent company keeps high margins on a relatively small asset base. FY2025 revenue was $47.941 billion with $13.107 billion in net income, up from $47.061 billion in revenue in 2024. In Q2 2026, net revenue grew 7% to $13.4 billion and comparable EPS rose 11% to $0.97. That cash supports the dividend: in February 2026 the board approved a 64th consecutive annual increase, to $0.53 per quarter. Berkshire Hathaway has held 400 million shares since the early 1990s, making it the largest single shareholder.
Unilever
Unilever's 2025 turnover from continuing operations was ~$57.1 billion (EUR 50.5 billion), down 3.8% in reported terms because of adverse currency moves and disposals, even as underlying sales grew 3.5% with 1.5% from volume. Free cash flow was ~$6.67 billion (EUR 5.9 billion), about $757 million (EUR 670 million) of productivity savings had been delivered by the end of 2025, and the company announced a new ~$1.69 billion (EUR 1.5 billion) share buyback. Momentum improved in 2026: first-half turnover was ~$28.9 billion (EUR 25.6 billion) (up 0.5%), underlying sales grew 4.8% with 4.2% volume, Q2 underlying growth reached 5.8%, and the underlying operating margin was 20.3%. Unilever raised its full-year outlook after the H1 2026 results.
Revenue and profit by year
Coca-Cola
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | $47.9B | $13.1B | 27.3% | +1.9% | Source |
| FY2024 | $47.1B | — | 0.0% | +2.9% | Source |
| FY2023 | $45.8B | $10.7B | 23.4% | +6.4% | Source |
| FY2022 | $43B | $9.5B | 22.2% | +11.3% | Source |
| FY2021 | $38.7B | — | 0.0% | +17.1% | Source |
| FY2020 | $33B | — | 0.0% | -11.4% | Source |
| FY2019 | $37.3B | $8.9B | 23.9% | — | Source |
Unilever
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | ~$57.1B | ~$10.7B | 18.7% | -3.8% | Source |
| FY2024 | ~$59.3B | ~$6.5B | 10.9% | +1.5% | Source |
| FY2023 | ~$58.4B | ~$7.3B | 12.6% | -14.0% | Source |
| FY2022 | ~$67.9B | ~$8.6B | 12.7% | +14.5% | Source |
| FY2021 | ~$59.3B | ~$6.8B | 11.5% | +3.4% | Source |
| FY2020 | ~$57.3B | ~$6.3B | 11.0% | -2.4% | Source |
| FY2019 | ~$58.7B | ~$6.4B | 10.8% | +2.0% | Source |
| FY2018 | ~$57.6B | ~$10.6B | 18.4% | -5.1% | Source |
| FY2017 | ~$60.7B | ~$6.8B | 11.2% | +1.9% | Source |
| FY2016 | ~$59.6B | ~$5.9B | 9.8% | — | Source |
Where the revenue comes from
Coca-Cola
- Concentrate operations
Roughly 55-60% of net operating revenue
Sales of concentrates, syrups and beverage bases to authorized bottlers and fountain customers; the high-margin core of the model.
- Finished product operations
Roughly 40-45% of net operating revenue
Company-owned bottling operations, Costa Coffee, fairlife and other businesses that sell finished beverages directly to retailers and distributors.
Unilever
- Power Brands
78% of 2025 turnover
Dove, Vaseline, Rexona, Sunsilk, OMO, Knorr and the other Power Brands made up 78% of turnover in 2025.
- Beauty & Wellbeing
Not formally reported
One of four business groups reported after the 2025 Ice Cream demerger; it includes prestige beauty and wellbeing supplements.
- Personal Care
Not formally reported
One of the four business groups reported after the 2025 Ice Cream demerger.
- Home Care
Not formally reported
One of the four business groups reported after the 2025 Ice Cream demerger.
- Foods
Not formally reported
Largely to be combined with McCormick in a pending transaction; it includes Unilever Food Solutions for foodservice.
Business model and strategy
Coca-Cola
How it makes money
Coca-Cola runs a franchise model. The company develops or acquires beverage recipes and runs global marketing, including sponsorships such as the Olympics. It earns revenue by selling concentrate to independent bottling companies around the world, such as Coca-Cola Europacific Partners. The bottlers add water, package the drinks and handle distribution, and pay Coca-Cola for the right to sell its brands.
Growth strategy
Coca-Cola calls itself a 'total beverage company': it keeps trademark Coca-Cola and Coca-Cola Zero Sugar at the center while building scale in coffee (Costa), sports hydration (BodyArmor, Powerade), premium water (Smartwater, Topo Chico) and value-added dairy (fairlife).
Competitive advantage
Coca-Cola's advantage is its brand and its distribution network. Its products reach even very remote places through a system of bottlers, trucks and independent shopkeepers that took more than a century to build. A new drinks company can develop a product people like, but it cannot quickly match Coca-Cola's reach into shops and refrigerators worldwide.
Unilever
How it makes money
Unilever makes money by manufacturing and selling branded, repeat-purchase consumer products through supermarkets, convenience stores, pharmacies, small independent shops and e-commerce. After the 2025 Ice Cream demerger it reports four business groups: Beauty & Wellbeing, Personal Care, Home Care and Foods. Its Power Brands, such as Dove, Vaseline, Rexona, Sunsilk, OMO and Knorr, made up 78% of turnover in 2025.
Growth strategy
Under Fernando Fernandez, Unilever is concentrating investment behind about 30 Power Brands, increasing marketing spend through social and influencer channels, rotating the portfolio toward premium beauty and wellbeing (2025 deals included Dr. Squatch, Wild and Minimalist), and separating lower-growth food and ice cream assets.
Competitive advantage
Unilever's advantage is a mix of trusted brands, emerging-market distribution, local manufacturing, repeat-purchase categories, Power Brand marketing scale, and deep category knowledge in personal care, home care, beauty, and foods.
Questions about Coca-Cola vs Unilever
Which company has higher revenue — The Coca-Cola Company or Unilever PLC?
The Coca-Cola Company reported $47.9B (FY2025), while Unilever PLC reported ~$57.1B (FY2025). By last reported revenue, Unilever PLC is the larger business, with The Coca-Cola Company reporting a smaller revenue base.
What is the market cap of The Coca-Cola Company vs Unilever PLC?
The Coca-Cola Company's market capitalisation stands at $379.0B, while Unilever PLC's is $132.5B. The Coca-Cola Company carries the higher market valuation, reflecting investors' expectations of its future earnings power relative to Unilever PLC.
Which is more financially efficient — The Coca-Cola Company or Unilever PLC?
The Coca-Cola Company generates $727k / employee in revenue per employee, while Unilever PLC generates $594k / employee. The Coca-Cola Company shows higher revenue efficiency per headcount, though this reflects business model differences — capital-light software companies routinely outperform labour-intensive manufacturers on this metric.
How do The Coca-Cola Company and Unilever PLC make money?
The Coca-Cola Company and Unilever PLC generate revenue in fundamentally different ways. The Coca-Cola Company: Coca-Cola runs a franchise model. Unilever PLC: Unilever makes money by manufacturing and selling branded, repeat-purchase consumer products through supermarkets, convenience stores, pharmacies, small independent shops and e-commerce.
Which company is valued higher relative to revenue — The Coca-Cola Company or Unilever PLC?
On a price-to-sales (P/S) basis, The Coca-Cola Company trades at 7.9x P/S and Unilever PLC at 2.3x P/S. The Coca-Cola Company commands a higher revenue multiple, typically indicating that investors expect faster growth or higher future margins compared to Unilever PLC. A higher multiple is not inherently better — it may also signal that the stock is priced for perfection.
Is The Coca-Cola Company bigger than Unilever PLC?
By last reported revenue, Unilever PLC (~$57.1B (FY2025)) is the larger company compared to The Coca-Cola Company ($47.9B (FY2025)). Revenue scale is one dimension of size — market capitalisation, employee count, and geographic reach are also relevant depending on the context.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the Coca-Cola vs Unilever overview