Germany’s meat alternatives output falls 1.2% in 2025
Meat consumption and conventional meat production both incMeat consumption and conventional meat production both increased during the yearreased during the year
GERMANY – Germany’s production of plant-based meat alternatives declined in 2025 after several years of expansion, with official figures showing lower output volumes and reduced market value compared to the previous year.
Data released by the Federal Statistical Office of Germany showed the country produced about 124,900 tonnes of vegetarian and vegan meat substitutes in 2025, representing a 1.2% decrease from the 126,500 tonnes recorded in 2024.
At the same time, the value of meat-alternative production dropped by 2.2% year-on-year to around US$736.7m (formerly €632.6m), reflecting weaker market performance across the category.
Long-term growth remains above 2019 levels
Even so, production volumes remained significantly higher than levels seen earlier in the decade, as Destatis data indicated output of meat substitutes has risen by 107% since 2019, when Germany produced roughly 60,400 tonnes.
Meanwhile, conventional meat production continued to account for the vast majority of the country’s protein market, with Germany producing meat and meat products worth about US$52.7bn (formerly €45.2bn) in 2025, up 2% from approximately US$51.7bn (formerly €44.3bn) a year earlier.
By comparison, the value of Germany’s meat industry in 2025 was more than 70 times larger than that of the meat-alternatives sector, although the gap has narrowed over recent years.
Back in 2019, meat and meat product output in Germany was valued at roughly US$46.8bn (formerly €40.1bn), which was around 150 times greater than the value of plant-based substitutes at that time, when the category generated just under US$350m.
Meat consumption edges upward
In addition, per-capita meat consumption in Germany increased slightly during 2025, according to preliminary figures cited by Destatis from the Federal Office for Agriculture and Food.
Average meat consumption reached 54.9kg per person in 2025, compared with 53.5kg in 2024 and 52.9kg in 2023.
Germany remains the largest market for plant-based foods in Europe despite the decline in production volumes recorded last year.
Separately, a report issued in June 2025 by Good Food Institute Europe found that demand for plant-based meat products in Germany increased between 2023 and 2024 after a period of slower growth between 2022 and 2023.
The report showed sales of plant-based meat products in Germany reached US$884.7m (formerly €759m) in 2024, reflecting growth of 3.9% compared with 2023 and 7.8% above 2022 levels.
According to the study, sausage and salami alternatives accounted for 34.7% of total sales volume in 2024, while meatballs represented 13.8% and schnitzel or medallion products made up 13.6%, as steak and fillet alternatives increased their market share to 4.2% from 2.5% in 2022.
Sign up HERE to receive our email newsletters with the latest news and insights from Africa and around the world, and follow us on our WhatsApp channel for updates.
