Property, Plant and Equipment Disclosure
Asset Age Ratios (Summary)
Average Age
Estimated Total Useful Life
Estimated Age, Time Elapsed Since Purchase
Estimated Remaining Life

Merck & Co. Inc., balance sheet: property, plant and equipment

US$ in millions

	Dec 31, 2023	Dec 31, 2022	Dec 31, 2021	Dec 31, 2020	Dec 31, 2019
Land	326)	295)	326)	350)	343)
Buildings	14,966)	13,166)	12,529)	12,645)	11,989)
Machinery, equipment and office furnishings	17,763)	16,760)	16,303)	16,649)	15,394)
Construction in progress	8,262)	9,186)	8,313)	7,324)	5,013)
Property, plant and equipment, at cost	41,317)	39,407)	37,471)	36,968)	32,739)
Accumulated depreciation	(18,266)	(17,985)	(18,192)	(18,982)	(17,686)
Property, plant and equipment, at cost, net of accumulated depreciation	23,051)	21,422)	19,279)	17,986)	15,053)

Based on: 10-K (reporting date: 2023-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2022-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2021-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2020-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2019-12-31).

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Item	Description	The company
Property, plant and equipment, at cost	Amount before accumulated depreciation, depletion and amortization of physical assets used in the normal conduct of business and not intended for resale. Examples include, but are not limited to, land, buildings, machinery and equipment, office equipment, and furniture and fixtures.	Merck & Co. Inc. property, plant and equipment, at cost increased from 2021 to 2022 and from 2022 to 2023.
Property, plant and equipment, at cost, net of accumulated depreciation	Amount after accumulated depreciation, depletion and amortization of physical assets used in the normal conduct of business to produce goods and services and not intended for resale. Examples include, but are not limited to, land, buildings, machinery and equipment, office equipment, and furniture and fixtures.	Merck & Co. Inc. property, plant and equipment, at cost, net of accumulated depreciation increased from 2021 to 2022 and from 2022 to 2023.

Merck & Co. Inc., asset age ratios

	Dec 31, 2023	Dec 31, 2022	Dec 31, 2021	Dec 31, 2020	Dec 31, 2019
Average age ratio	44.56%	45.98%	48.98%	51.84%	54.59%
Estimated total useful life (years)	22	21	24	21	19
Estimated age, time elapsed since purchase (years)	10	10	12	11	11
Estimated remaining life (years)	12	12	12	10	9

Based on: 10-K (reporting date: 2023-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2022-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2021-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2020-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2019-12-31).

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Asset age ratio	Description	The company
Average age ratio	As long as straight-line depreciation is used, this is an accurate estimate of asset age as a percentage of depreciable life. The relative age is a useful measure of whether the company fixed asset base is old or new. Newer assets are likely to be more efficient.	Merck & Co. Inc. average age ratio of depreciable property, plant and equipment improved from 2021 to 2022 and from 2022 to 2023.
Estimated total useful life	Over longer time periods, this ratio is a useful measure of company depreciation policy and can be used for comparisons with competitors.	Merck & Co. Inc. estimated total useful life of depreciable property, plant and equipment decreased from 2021 to 2022 but then slightly increased from 2022 to 2023.
Estimated time elapsed since purchase	The approximate age in years of a company fixed assets. Useful for comparison purposes.	Merck & Co. Inc. estimated time elapsed since purchase of depreciable property, plant and equipment improved from 2021 to 2022 but then slightly deteriorated from 2022 to 2023.
Estimated remaining life		Merck & Co. Inc. estimated remaining life of depreciable property, plant and equipment decreased from 2021 to 2022 but then increased from 2022 to 2023 exceeding 2021 level.

	Dec 31, 2023	Dec 31, 2022	Dec 31, 2021	Dec 31, 2020	Dec 31, 2019
Selected Financial Data (US$ in millions)
Accumulated depreciation	18,266)	17,985)	18,192)	18,982)	17,686)
Property, plant and equipment, at cost	41,317)	39,407)	37,471)	36,968)	32,739)
Land	326)	295)	326)	350)	343)
Asset Age Ratio
Average age¹	44.56%	45.98%	48.98%	51.84%	54.59%

Based on: 10-K (reporting date: 2023-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2022-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2021-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2020-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2019-12-31).

2023 Calculations

¹ Average age = 100 × Accumulated depreciation ÷ (Property, plant and equipment, at cost – Land)
= 100 × 18,266 ÷ (41,317 – 326) = 44.56%

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Asset age ratio	Description	The company
Average age	As long as straight-line depreciation is used, this is an accurate estimate of asset age as a percentage of depreciable life. The relative age is a useful measure of whether the company fixed asset base is old or new. Newer assets are likely to be more efficient.	Merck & Co. Inc. average age ratio of depreciable property, plant and equipment improved from 2021 to 2022 and from 2022 to 2023.

	Dec 31, 2023	Dec 31, 2022	Dec 31, 2021	Dec 31, 2020	Dec 31, 2019
Selected Financial Data (US$ in millions)
Property, plant and equipment, at cost	41,317)	39,407)	37,471)	36,968)	32,739)
Land	326)	295)	326)	350)	343)
Depreciation expense	1,828)	1,824)	1,578)	1,726)	1,679)
Asset Age Ratio (Years)
Estimated total useful life¹	22	21	24	21	19

Based on: 10-K (reporting date: 2023-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2022-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2021-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2020-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2019-12-31).

2023 Calculations

¹ Estimated total useful life = (Property, plant and equipment, at cost – Land) ÷ Depreciation expense
= (41,317 – 326) ÷ 1,828 = 22

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Asset age ratio	Description	The company
Estimated total useful life	Over longer time periods, this ratio is a useful measure of company depreciation policy and can be used for comparisons with competitors.	Merck & Co. Inc. estimated total useful life of depreciable property, plant and equipment decreased from 2021 to 2022 but then slightly increased from 2022 to 2023.

	Dec 31, 2023	Dec 31, 2022	Dec 31, 2021	Dec 31, 2020	Dec 31, 2019
Selected Financial Data (US$ in millions)
Accumulated depreciation	18,266)	17,985)	18,192)	18,982)	17,686)
Depreciation expense	1,828)	1,824)	1,578)	1,726)	1,679)
Asset Age Ratio (Years)
Time elapsed since purchase¹	10	10	12	11	11

Based on: 10-K (reporting date: 2023-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2022-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2021-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2020-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2019-12-31).

2023 Calculations

¹ Time elapsed since purchase = Accumulated depreciation ÷ Depreciation expense
= 18,266 ÷ 1,828 = 10

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Asset age ratio	Description	The company
Estimated time elapsed since purchase	The approximate age in years of a company fixed assets. Useful for comparison purposes.	Merck & Co. Inc. estimated time elapsed since purchase of depreciable property, plant and equipment improved from 2021 to 2022 but then slightly deteriorated from 2022 to 2023.

	Dec 31, 2023	Dec 31, 2022	Dec 31, 2021	Dec 31, 2020	Dec 31, 2019
Selected Financial Data (US$ in millions)
Property, plant and equipment, at cost, net of accumulated depreciation	23,051)	21,422)	19,279)	17,986)	15,053)
Land	326)	295)	326)	350)	343)
Depreciation expense	1,828)	1,824)	1,578)	1,726)	1,679)
Asset Age Ratio (Years)
Estimated remaining life¹	12	12	12	10	9

Based on: 10-K (reporting date: 2023-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2022-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2021-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2020-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2019-12-31).

2023 Calculations

¹ Estimated remaining life = (Property, plant and equipment, at cost, net of accumulated depreciation – Land) ÷ Depreciation expense
= (23,051 – 326) ÷ 1,828 = 12

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Asset age ratio	Description	The company
Estimated remaining life		Merck & Co. Inc. estimated remaining life of depreciable property, plant and equipment decreased from 2021 to 2022 but then increased from 2022 to 2023 exceeding 2021 level.

Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE:MRK)

Analysis of Property, Plant and Equipment

Property, Plant and Equipment Disclosure

Asset Age Ratios (Summary)

Average Age

Estimated Total Useful Life

Estimated Age, Time Elapsed since Purchase

Estimated Remaining Life