Meat production in Germany rose again for the first time in 2024 – foreign trade declined

In 2024, net meat production in Germany recorded an increase for the first time since 2016. According to preliminary data from the Bundesinformationszentrum Landwirtschaft (BZL), the slaughter volume increased by 1.4 percent to a total of 7.3 million tons of slaughter weight (SG). This development was driven primarily by pork production, which increased by 1.9 percent. The production of chicken (+1.3 percent) and beef and veal (+1.1 percent) also rose slightly.

Decline in foreign trade in meat products

By contrast, Germany's foreign trade in meat and meat products declined. Imports fell by 1.4 percent year-on-year to 3.14 million tons in 2024. Imports of pork and beef fell particularly sharply, while demand for poultry meat from abroad rose. Exports fell slightly by 0.3 percent to 4.39 million tons. Higher third-country exports of pork partially offset the decline in other types of meat.

Meat consumption increases slightly

Domestic meat consumption also rose slightly. At 4.44 million tons, consumption in 2024 was 0.8 percent higher than in the previous year. The calculated per capita consumption rose to 53.2 kilograms (2023: 52.9 kg; 2022: 52.8 kg). Chicken meat in particular enjoyed growing popularity, while the consumption of pork remained at the level of previous years.

Self-sufficiency rate continues to rise

The amount of meat available for consumption remained stable at 6.1 million tons in 2024. Due to the increase in domestic production, the degree of self-sufficiency rose slightly from 119.5 percent in 2023 to 120.5 percent. The theoretical self-sufficiency rate was 134.6 percent for pork, 108.2 percent for beef and veal, and 100.4 percent for poultry. However, for popular cuts such as fillet or pork chop, the supply rate is regularly below average.

Source: BLE (Bundesministerium für Ernährung und Landwirtschaft): https://www.bmel-statistik.de/ernaehrung/versorgungsbilanzen/fleisch