April 15, 2024

Germany sees decline in per capita meat consumption last year

Germany's per capita meat consumption fell by 430 grams to 51.6 kilogrammes in 2023, according to preliminary data from the country's Federal Agricultural Information Center (BZL).

Beef saw the largest decline, with per capita consumption falling by almost 5% to 8.9 kilogrammes per person. The proportion of pork also declined in 2023, with consumption falling nearly 600 grams to 27.5 kilogrammes per person. A quarter of the meat consumed is poultry, especially chicken, which increased about 900 grams per person in 2023, leaving per capita consumption at 13.1 kilogrammes.

The general decrease in meat consumption is accompanied by reduced imports of meat, meat products and canned pork, beef and veal. Pork imports, in particular, declined steadily (around 0.96 million tonnes in 2023), while exports were higher (+2.22 million tonnes in 2023).

Net pork production declined to 4.2 million tonnes last year.

- BLE