Food industry 2025: growth versus bankruptcies

In 2025, the food industry achieved revenue growth of more than 7 percent, driven largely by a sharp increase in exports. At the same time, the year also revealed a less favorable side: with 53 bankruptcies, the highest number since 2014 was recorded. This combination translates into cautious expectations for 2026, with most entrepreneurs anticipating stable revenues. This is evident from the 2025 food industry year overview, based on provisional CBS figures.

Exports rise significantly

Last year’s growth was driven primarily by international markets. In the first eleven months of 2025, total revenue in the food industry was 7.2 percent higher than in the same period of 2024. Domestic sales increased by 3.7 percent, while exports showed a much stronger performance, rising by 10.1 percent.

Spring in particular stood out. April was the strongest month, with revenue growth of 12.5 percent, supported in part by a substantial increase in exports (+16.5 percent). January, June, and September also recorded growth rates above 10 percent. Only in November did growth briefly stall, when revenue declined slightly by 0.2 percent.

Price increases lose momentum

While revenues continued to grow at a solid pace, price developments slowed over the course of the year. Between January and November, selling prices increased by a total of 3.4 percent. In the early months of the year, price pressure was still high, with monthly increases of more than 5 percent. From the summer onward, however, the pace clearly eased. In November, the trend even reversed, with selling prices falling by 1.6 percent. Price increases were mainly driven by exports, where prices rose by an average of 4.8 percent. The domestic market showed a noticeably calmer price pattern (+1.3 percent).

Differences between subsectors were significant. The dairy industry saw the strongest increase in selling prices (+4.7 percent), followed by the fish processing industry (+3.9 percent) and the animal feed industry (+3.3 percent). Slaughterhouses and meat processors also recorded higher prices (+2.2 percent). At the other end of the spectrum were the milling industry (-4.1 percent) and the fruit and vegetable processing industry (-0.3 percent), where prices declined overall.

Highest number of bankruptcies since 2014

Despite revenue growth, the number of bankruptcies increased. In 2025, 53 food companies went bankrupt, the highest number since 2014. The bakery and dough products industry was hit particularly hard, accounting for a total of 32 bankruptcies. Notably, no bankruptcies were recorded last year in the oils and fats industry.

Cautious outlook

Expectations for this year remain moderate. Just over 18 percent of entrepreneurs anticipate higher revenues than in 2025, while two-thirds expect revenues to remain stable. Nearly 15 percent foresee a decline.
Caution also prevails in the labor market. Most entrepreneurs (over 71 percent) expect to keep their workforce unchanged. A smaller group anticipates expansion (12.5 percent), while just over 16 percent expect a reduction.
When it comes to investments, confidence is somewhat stronger. Nearly 60 percent expect to maintain their investment level, almost 29 percent plan to invest more, and 12 percent anticipate lower investment levels than last year.