German market for meat substitutes declines

The German market for meat substitutes is showing a slight setback for the first time in years. In 2025, production fell by 1.2 percent. At the same time, meat consumption increased slightly. This suggests that the rapid growth of plant-based alternatives may be leveling off for now. Even so, production volumes remain significantly higher than they were several years ago. The figures come from new data released by Germany’s Federal Statistical Office, Destatis.

Production edges down slightly

Last year, Germany produced 124,900 tons of meat substitutes. A year earlier, that volume still stood at 126,500 tons. The value of production also declined. It totaled €632.6 million, compared to €647.1 million in 2024.

Even so, production remains far above the levels seen several years ago. In 2019, Germany produced 60,400 tons of meat substitutes. That means production volume has more than doubled over the past six years. The product category includes vegetarian spreads, tofu products, and vegetarian or vegan products designed to resemble meat products in appearance.

Gap with meat remains substantial

Germany’s meat industry remains economically far larger than the market for meat substitutes. In 2025, roughly €45.2 billion worth of meat and meat products was produced. That was 2 percent more than a year earlier.

According to Destatis, the value of meat production is now more than seventy times higher than that of meat substitutes. In 2019, that gap was even wider. At the time, meat production represented roughly 150 times the value of meat substitutes. The meat and meat products category includes meat, poultry, and processed meat products.

Meat consumption rises slightly

Meat consumption in Germany also increased slightly last year. According to preliminary figures from the Bundesanstalt für Landwirtschaft und Ernährung, average meat consumption reached 54.9 kilos per person. In 2023, that figure stood at 52.9 kilos. In 2024, it rose to 53.5 kilos per person.

Destatis.de