Industry Statistics and Trends
Market size and recent performance (2014-2029)
Industry revenue has declined at a CAGR of 1.4 % over the past five years, to reach an estimated €20.9bn in 2024.
Trends and Insights
Despite its overall economic importance, the sector is under high pressure to generate earnings
- The meat industry is one of the most important branches of the food industry. Despite relatively constant domestic sales and a stable position abroad, the slaughtering industry is under increasing pressure on earnings, which is why its profits are at a low level and have also been subject to certain fluctuations since 2019.
- Additional trends and insights available with purchase
Source: IBISWorld
Industry outlook (2024-2029)
Market size is projected to grow over the next five years.
Trends and Insights
Biggest companies in the Meat Processing in Germany
| Company | Market Share (%)
2024 | Revenue (€m)
2024 |
|---|---|---|
Tönnies Holding ApS & Co. KG | 4,065.1 | |
Vion N. V. | 3,529.6 | |
Westfleisch SCE mbH | 1,508.0 |
To view the market share and analysis for all 5 top companies in this industry, view purchase options.
Products & Services Segmentation
Source: IBISWorld
Industry revenue is measured across several distinct product and services lines, including Pork, Beef and Edible offal. Pork is the largest segment of the Meat Processing in Germany.
Trends and Insights
Demand for pork is falling at home and rising abroad
- Pork is the most important product group in the industry. It is supplied chilled or frozen, in whole carcasses or cut into pieces.
- More insights available in the full report
Table of Contents
About this industry
Industry definition
Industry participants operate slaughterhouses in which animals such as cattle and pigs are slaughtered and then dressed. The industry also includes the production of fresh and frozen meat in pieces and carcasses. The rendering of bacon, the extraction of hides and the processing of offal are also included. The slaughtering and trimming of poultry and meat packaging are not included.
What's included in this industry?
PorkBeefEdible offalCompanies
Tönnies Holding ApS & Co. KGVion N. V.Westfleisch SCE mbHPurchase this report to view all 5 major companies in this industry.
Related Terms
CLEAN LABELCONVENIENCEFLEXITARIANCONTRACT SLAUGHTERIndustry Code
WZ 10.11 - Meat Processing in Germany
Performance
Get an indication of the industry's health through historical, current and forward-looking trends in the performance indicators that make or break businesses.
Analyst insights
Rising meat consumption is having an impact on the development of the industry. The increase in health awareness means that less red meat is being consumed and demand is shif...
In this chapter (4)
- Current Performance
- Outlook
- Volatility
- Life Cycle
Key metrics
- Annual Revenue, Recent Growth, Forecast, Revenue Volatility
- Number of Employees, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Employee
- Number of Businesses, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Business
- Total Profit, Profit Margin, Profit per Business
Charts
- Revenue, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
- Employees, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
- Businesses, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
- Profit, including historical (2014-2024)
- Industry Volatility vs. Revenue Growth
- Industry Life Cycle
Detailed analysis
- Trends in supply, demand and current events that are driving current industry performance
- Expected trends, economic factors and ongoing events that drive the industry's outlook
- Key success factors for businesses to overcome volatility
- How contribution to GDP, industry saturation, innovation, consolidation, and technology and systems influence the industry's life cycle phase.
Products and Markets
Learn about an industry's products and services, markets and trends in international trade.
Analyst insight
Pork is the most important product group in the industry. Over the past five years, the proportion of sales accounted for by pork has fallen slightly, which can be explained ...
In this chapter
- Products & Services
- Major Markets
- International Trade
Key metrics
- Largest market segment and value in 2024
- Product innovation level
- Total imports, level and trend
- Total exports, level and trend
- Trade Balance
Charts
- Products & services segmentation in 2024
- Major market segmentation in 2024
- International trade, including imports by country and exports by country
Detailed analysis
- Trends impacting the recent performance of the industry's various segments
- Innovations in the industry's product or service offering, specialization or delivery method
- Key factors that successful businesses consider in their offerings
- Buying segments and key trends influencing demand for industry products and services
- Recent trends in import and export volumes, country of origin or destination, and expected future trends
Geographic Breakdown
Discover where business activity is most concentrated in an industry and the factors driving these trends to find opportunities and conduct regional benchmarking.
Analyst insights
In an interregional comparison, the south of Germany has the highest proportion of companies in the slaughtering industry. This is partly due to the large number of small bus...
In this chapter (1)
- Business Locations
Charts
- Share of revenue, establishment, wages and employment in each region
- Share of population compared to establishments in each region in 2024
Tables
- Number and share of establishments in each region in 2024
- Number and share of revenue each region accounts for in 2024
- Number and share of wages each region accounts for in 2024
- Number and share of employees in each region in 2024
Detailed analysis
- Geographic spread of the industry across Europe, and trends associated with changes in the business landscape
- Key success factors for businesses to use location to their advantage
Competitive Forces
Get data and insights on what's driving competition in an industry and the challenges industry operators and new entrants may face, with analysis built around Porter's Five Forces framework.
Analyst insights
Market concentration in the sector has increased as a result of mergers and acquisitions as well as the saturated meat market in Germany. Small and medium-sized companies in ...
In this chapter (4)
- Concentration
- Barriers to Entry
- Substitutes
- Buyer & Supplier Analysis
Key metrics
- Industry concentration level
- Industry competition level and trend
- Barriers to entry level and trend
- Substitutes level and trend
- Buyer power level and trend
- Supplier power level and trend
Charts
- Market share concentration among the top 4 suppliers from 2019-2024
- Supply chain including upstream supplying industries and downstream buying industries, flow chart
Detailed analysis
- Factors impacting the industry’s level of concentration, such as business distribution, new entrants, or merger and acquisition activity.
- Key success factors for businesses to manage the competitive environment of the industry.
- Challenges that potential industry entrants face such as legal, start-up costs, differentiation, labor/capital intensity and capital expenses.
- Key success factors for potential entrants to overcome barriers to entry.
- Competitive threats from potential substitutes for the industry’s own products and services.
- Key success factors for how successful businesses can compete with substitutes.
- Advantages that buyers have to keep favorable purchasing conditions.
- Advantages that suppliers have to maintain favorable selling conditions.
- Key success factors for how businesses can navigate buyer and supplier power.
Companies
Learn about the performance of the top companies in the industry.
Analyst insights
Tönnies is pressing ahead with its expansion strategy. In addition to the German Tican Group and the British slaughtering and cutting plant of C&K Meats, the company has also...
In this chapter
- Market Share Concentration
- Companies
- Company Spotlights
Charts
- Industry market share by company in 2020 through 2024
- Major companies in the industry, including market share, revenue, profit and profit margin in 2024
- Overview of Tönnies Holding ApS & Co. KG's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024
- Overview of Vion N. V.'s performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024
- Overview of Westfleisch SCE mbH's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024
- Overview of revenue, market share and profit margin trend for 2 additional companies
Detailed analysis
- Description and key data for Tönnies Holding ApS & Co. KG, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
- Description and key data for Vion N. V., and factors influencing its performance in the industry
- Description and key data for Westfleisch SCE mbH, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
- Description, key data and performance trends for 2 additional companies
External Environment
Understand the demographic, economic and regulatory factors that shape how businesses in an industry perform.
Analyst insights
In April 2021, an extension of the funding programmes for small and medium-sized slaughterhouses was agreed. The aim is to regionalise the slaughter structure, which should l...
In this chapter
- External Drivers
- Regulation & Policy
- Assistance
Key metrics
- Regulation & policy level and trend
- Assistance level and trend
Charts
- Regulation & Policy historical data and forecast (2014-2029)
- Assistance historical data and forecast (2014-2029)
Detailed analysis
- Demographic and macroeconomic factors influencing the industry, including Regulation & Policy and Assistance
- Major types of regulations, regulatory bodies, industry standards or specific regulations impacting requirements for industry operators
- Key governmental and non-governmental groups or policies that may provide some relief for industry operators.
Financial Benchmarks
View average costs for industry operators and compare financial data against an industry's financial benchmarks over time.
Analyst insights
In recent years, the slaughter industry has seen a drop in profitability. This can be explained, among other things, by the volatile development of slaughter cattle prices. C...
In this chapter
- Cost Structure
- Financial Ratios
- Key Ratios
Key metrics
- Profit margin, and how it compares to the sector-wide margin
- Average wages, and how it compares to the sector-wide average wage
- Largest cost component as a percentage of revenue
- Industry average ratios for days' receivables, industry coverage and debt-to-net-worth ratio
Charts
- Average industry operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2024
- Average sector operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2024
- Investment vs. share of economy
Data tables
- Cash Flow & Debt Service Ratios (2014-2029)
- Revenue per Employee (2014-2029)
- Revenue per Enterprise (2014-2029)
- Employees per Establishment (2014-2029)
- Employees per Enterprise (2014-2029)
- Average Wage (2014-2029)
- Wages/Revenue (2014-2029)
- Establishments per Enterprise (2014-2029)
- IVA/Revenue (2014-2029)
- Imports/Demand (2014-2029)
- Exports/Revenue (2014-2029)
Detailed analysis
- Trends in the cost component for industry operators and their impact on industry costs and profitability
Key Statistics
Industry Data
Data Tables
Including values and annual change:
- Revenue (2014-2029)
- IVA (2014-2029)
- Establishments (2014-2029)
- Enterprises (2014-2029)
- Employment (2014-2029)
- Exports (2014-2029)
- Imports (2014-2029)
- Wages (2014-2029)
Top Questions Answered
Unlock comprehensive answers and precise data upon purchase. View purchase options.
What is the market size of the Meat Processing industry in Germany in 2024?
The market size of the Meat Processing industry in Germany is €20.9bn in 2024.
How many businesses are there in the Meat Processing in Germany industry in 2024?
There are 285 businesses in the Meat Processing industry in Germany, which has grown at a CAGR of 1.7 % between 2019 and 2024.
Has the Meat Processing industry in Germany grown or declined over the past 5 years?
The market size of the Meat Processing industry in Germany has been declining at a CAGR of 1.4 % between 2019 and 2024.
What is the forecast growth of the Meat Processing industry in Germany over the next 5 years?
Over the next five years, the Meat Processing industry in Germany is expected to grow.
What are the biggest companies in the Meat Processing market in Germany?
The biggest companies operating in the Meat Processing market in Germany are Tönnies Holding ApS & Co. KG, Vion N. V. and Westfleisch SCE mbH
What does the Meat Processing in Germany include?
Pork and Beef are part of the Meat Processing industry.
Which companies have the highest market share in the Meat Processing in Germany?
The company holding the most market share in Germany is Tönnies Holding ApS & Co. KG.
How competitive is the Meat Processing industry in Germany?
The level of competition is moderate and increasing in the Meat Processing industry in Germany.
Related Industries
Widen your competitive advantage with related industries
Competitors
- Seafood Processing in Germany
Complementors
- Poultry Meat Processing in Germany
International industries
- Meat, Beef & Poultry Processing in the US
- Meat, Beef & Poultry Processing in Canada
- Meat Processing in Australia
- Meat Processing in New Zealand
- Meat Processing in the UK
View all industries in Germany
Methodology
How are IBISWorld reports created?
IBISWorld has been a leading provider of trusted industry research for over 50 years to the most successful companies worldwide. With offices in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and China, we are proud to have local teams of analysts that conduct research, data analysis and forecasting to produce data-driven industry reports.
Our analysts start with official, verified and publicly available sources of data to build the most accurate picture of each industry. Analysts then leverage their expertise and knowledge of the local markets to synthesize trends into digestible content for IBISWorld readers. Finally, each report is reviewed by one of IBISWorld’s editors, who provide quality assurance to ensure accuracy and readability.
IBISWorld relies on human-verified data and human-written analysis to compile each standard industry report. We do not use generative AI tools to write insights, although members can choose to leverage AI-based tools within the platform to generate additional analysis formats.
What data sources do IBISWorld analysts use?
Each industry report incorporates data and research from government databases, industry-specific sources, industry contacts, and our own proprietary database of statistics and analysis to provide balanced, independent and accurate insights.
Key data sources in Germany include:
- German Federal Statistics Office (Destatis)
- European Statistics Office (Eurostat)
- United Nations Comtrade
Analysts also use industry specific sources to complement catch-all sources, although their perspective may focus on a particular organization or representative body, rather than a clear overview of all industry operations. However, when balanced against other perspectives, industry-specific sources provide insights into industry trends.
These sources include:
- Industry and trade associations
- Industry federations or regulators
- Major industry players annual or quarterly filings
Finally, IBISWorld’s global data scientists maintain a proprietary database of macroeconomic and demand drivers, which our analysts use to help inform industry data and trends. They also maintain a database of statistics and analysis on thousands of industries, which has been built over our more than 50-year history and offers comprehensive insights into long-term trends.
How does IBISWorld forecast its data?
IBISWorld’s analysts and data scientists use the sources above to create forecasts for our proprietary datasets and industry statistics. Depending on the dataset, they may use regression analysis, multivariate analysis, time-series analysis or exponential smoothing techniques to project future data for the industry or driver. Additionally, analysts will leverage their local knowledge of industry operating and regulatory conditions to impart their best judgment on the forecast model.
IBISWorld prides itself on being a trusted, independent source of data, with over 50 years of experience building and maintaining rich datasets and forecasting tools. We are proud to be the keystone source of industry information for thousands of companies across the world.
Learn more about our methodology and data sourcing on the Help Center.
