Meat consumption in Germany climbs again in 2025 – BZL
BZL data shows shifting balance between domestic production and external supply
GERMANY – Germany recorded another year of rising meat consumption in 2025, according to preliminary calculations from the Federal Information Centre for Agriculture (BZL), which showed a further increase in per capita intake.
The data indicated that average consumption reached 54.9 kilograms per person, up by 1.4 kilograms from the previous year.
However, this level remains below earlier benchmarks, such as 2011, when consumption stood at 63.8 kilograms.
Consumption trends
Poultry drove much of the growth in 2025, with per capita consumption climbing to a record 14.7 kilograms as demand continued to expand across households.
Pork retained its dominant position in the market, accounting for roughly 28.3 kilograms per person and nearly 52% of total meat consumption nationwide.
Beef and veal also registered a modest increase, rising by about 200 grams to reach 9.7 kilograms per capita despite ongoing price pressures.
Production and imports
Overall meat production in Germany slipped slightly by 0.3% to 7.3 million tons in 2025, reflecting shifts across different livestock categories and supply conditions.
The decline was driven mainly by lower cattle slaughter, which led to a 6% reduction in net beef and veal output, while poultry production remained just under the previous year’s level at around 1.5 million tons, due in part to avian influenza pressures.
Pork production moved in the opposite direction, increasing by 1.1% as herd reductions stabilised and average carcass weights per animal edged higher.
To bridge the gap between domestic output and rising consumption, imports of meat and meat products expanded by nearly 11% to 3.6 million tons, with strong increases in shipments of beef, poultry, and lamb.
Despite this reliance on external supply, Germany maintained a self-sufficiency rate of about 115%, indicating production still exceeds total domestic demand on an aggregate basis.
However, pork shows a more complex picture, with self-sufficiency at around 139% overall, while availability of specific retail cuts such as fillet, ham, and chops is closer to 80%, helping explain continued import flows into the market.
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