Published in News
Germany Keeps Meat Production Steady in 2025
Germany produced almost the same amount of meat in 2025 as in 2024, with small changes between pork, beef and poultry.
Martina Osmak
Director of Marketing
Germany’s meat industry stayed mostly stable in 2025. New data from Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) shows that total production reached 6.9 million tonnes, only slightly lower than the year before.
The decrease was very small — just 0.2%, or about 15,400 tonnes less than 2024.
This means production levels have now stopped falling after several years of decline.
A Look Back: Lower Than the Peak
Germany once produced much more meat.
In 2016, production reached a high point of 8.3 million tonnes. That is about 17% higher than today’s level.
So while production is now stable, it is still below past records.
Total Animals Processed
In 2025, Germany processed meat from:
48.5 million pigs, cattle, sheep, goats and horses
697.3 million chickens, turkeys and ducks
These numbers show how large the industry still is, even with slower growth.
Pork: Small Growth
Pork production increased slightly in 2025.
Total pork output: 4.3 million tonnes
Increase: 1.1% compared to 2024
Pigs slaughtered: 44.9 million
Most pigs came from inside Germany:
44.1 million domestic pigs
759,200 imported pigs
Imports of pigs dropped sharply — by more than 40%. At the same time, more German pigs were processed.
This shows that local supply became more important.
Beef: Noticeable Decline
Beef production moved in the opposite direction.
Beef output: 0.9 million tonnes
Decrease: 6%
Cattle slaughtered: 2.8 million (down 7.3%)
This continues a trend of falling cattle numbers in Germany.
Poultry: Stable Overall, Changes Inside
Total poultry production stayed almost the same at 1.6 million tonnes.
However, inside this category, there were differences:
Broiler chicken meat increased by 3.6% (1.1 million tonnes)
Turkey meat fell by 7.7% (376,800 tonnes)
Other poultry numbers stayed close to last year
Most of the 697.3 million birds processed were broiler chickens (640.3 million).
So even though total poultry production did not change much, some types of meat are growing while others are shrinking.
Global Food Waste Concerns
At the start of 2026, packaging company Avery Dennison warned that meat could represent almost 20% of global food waste this year.
Using research from the Centre for Economics and Business Research, the report estimates:
Global food waste could cost $540 billion in 2026
That is higher than $526 billion last year
This shows that while production remains stable, the industry also faces pressure to reduce waste and improve efficiency.
What This Means
In simple terms:
Germany’s total meat production is steady.
Pork is slightly growing.
Beef is clearly declining.
Poultry is stable but changing inside.
The industry is no longer shrinking quickly, but it is also not returning to old record levels.
Germany’s meat market in 2025 can best be described as stable — but carefully adjusting to new realities.
Source: https://www.esmmagazine.com/supply-chain/germanys-meat-output-remains-stable-in-2025-destatis-306531