Almost 40% of Germans opt for meat alternatives
Vegetarian and vegan alternatives continue to gain popularity
On Tuesday, the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) published its nutrition report "Germany as it eats" for the year 2024.1 The report shows that the proportion of routine buyers of alternatives to animal products is now roughly on a par with the proportion of the population that eats a flexitarian diet. More than half of people in Germany continue to contribute to a more plant-oriented design of our food system.
For the BMEL Nutrition Report, the opinion research institute Forsa surveys around 1,000 citizens aged 14 and over every year to get an up-to-date picture of eating and shopping habits in Germany. According to the survey, a more plant-based diet is a stable trend in Germany. Alternatives to animal products have successfully established themselves in German kitchens.
39 percent of the population regularly buy alternatives to animal products
The report states that people in Germany are increasingly routinely buying vegetarian and vegan alternatives to animal products. In the space of five years, the proportion of the population that frequently opts for alternatives has risen by 10 percentage points. Compared to 2023, Forsa has once again observed a slight increase in routine buyers - to 39%. Among 14 to 29-year-olds, 58% are even regular buyers.
10% of the population eat alternatives to animal products every day
Daily consumption of alternatives has risen by 5 percentage points in the last five years. As in 2023, vegetarian and vegan alternative products are part of the daily diet for one in ten people this year. Among 14 to 29-year-olds, 18% eat alternative products every day.
37% of the population like vegetarian or vegan dishes outside the home
People's preferences outside the home are also indicative of more plant-based eating habits: 37% of respondents would like vegetarian and vegan dishes in pubs, restaurants and canteens and from delivery services.
Increasing production and demand for meat alternatives
Meat alternatives are the largest category of alternative products in Germany. In May, the Federal Statistical Office reported that the production of meat alternatives in Germany increased by 16.6 percent from 2022 to 2023.2 The manufacturer of meat alternatives Vivera recently published retail data from Nielsen, which shows that meat alternatives experienced a 14.4 percent increase in demand from German retailers in calendar weeks 1 to 32 of this year.3
41 percent of the population follow a flexitarian diet
According to the BMEL nutrition report, the proportion of people who say they eat a flexitarian diet is still over 40 percent. This figure has fallen slightly compared to the two previous years. Together with the population that follows a vegan or vegetarian diet, the proportion of people who actively contribute to a plant-based transformation of our food system with their diet is still over 50% in 2024. Among 14 to 29-year-olds, one in five eat a vegan or vegetarian diet.
23% of the population eat meat and sausage every day
Since the survey began in 2015, the proportion of the population who say they eat meat or sausage every day has fallen by 11 percentage points. Today, less than one in four people in Germany eat meat and sausage every day. Compared to 2023, the daily consumption of meat and sausage is therefore slightly more common again, but still declining compared to previous years.
Per capita meat consumption at lowest level since records began
These figures are in line with the official consumption statistics from the Federal Office for Agriculture and Food: according to these, per capita consumption of meat and sausage products in Germany is currently at its lowest level since records began - at 51.6 kilograms per capita, it is 9.3 kilograms below the 2018 figure.4
Sources
1 Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (2024): Deutschland, wie es isst - Der BMEL-Ernährungsreport 2024, published on 24.09.2024. Online at: https://www.bmel.de/SharedDocs/Downloads/DE/Broschueren/ernaehrungsreport-2024.pdf?__blob=publicationFile&v=4
2 Federal Statistical Office (2024): Trend towards meat substitutes unbroken: Production increases by 16.6% in 2023 compared to the previous year, press release from 02.05.2024. Online at: https://www.destatis.de/DE/Presse/Pressemitteilungen/2024/05/PD24_N018_42.html
3 Vivera (2024): Meat substitutes continue to gain ground, press release from 12.09.2024.
4 Federal Office for Agriculture and Food (2024): Per capita consumption of meat falls below 52 kilograms, published on 04.04.2024. Online at: https://www.ble.de/SharedDocs/Pressemitteilungen/DE/2024/240404_Fleischbilanz.html
Note: This article has been translated using a computer system without human intervention. LUMITOS offers these automatic translations to present a wider range of current news. Since this article has been translated with automatic translation, it is possible that it contains errors in vocabulary, syntax or grammar. The original article in German can be found here.
Other news from the department business & finance
Get the food & beverage industry in your inbox
From now on, don't miss a thing: Our newsletter for the food & beverage sector brings you up to date every Tuesday and Thursday. The latest industry news, product highlights and innovations - compact and easy to understand in your inbox. Researched by us so you don't have to.
