Germany’s growing poultry demand increases reliance on foreign supply
German poultry consumption has risen sharply while domestic production has expanded more slowly. The industry expects the locally produced share to decline, creating additional opportunities for foreign suppliers.
Poultry consumption returns to growth
Germany’s renewed growth in meat consumption is being led by poultry, but domestic farms are not expanding quickly enough to keep pace. Nine out of ten chickens and turkeys eaten in the country in 2025 were raised in Germany, according to an analysis prepared by the German Poultry Industry Association, or ZDG, together with consultancy Roland Berger. The association expects that share to fall substantially in the coming years, leaving a larger portion of demand to foreign suppliers.
Per-capita poultry consumption increased by more than 2 kilograms between 2022 and 2025, reaching 14.7 kilograms, according to figures previously released by Germany’s Federal Agriculture Ministry and reported by Tagesspiegel. Over the longer period from 2010 to 2025, total poultry consumption rose by 30% to almost 1.9 million tonnes per year, according to the industry. The ZDG forecasts annual consumption growth of 3.4% through 2040, which it says would expand the market by more than 50% compared with its current size.
Chicken drives the market
The headline growth masks a widening difference between poultry categories. Chicken consumption climbed by 65% between 2010 and 2025, according to the ZDG analysis. Turkey consumption, by contrast, fell by almost one-quarter over the same period. This shift makes chicken the main source of incremental demand and the central opportunity for processors, retailers and overseas suppliers seeking access to the German market.
Domestic output has also increased, but at a much slower rate. Germany produced almost 10% more poultry meat in 2025 than in 2010, the study found. At the beginning of that period, domestic production more than fully covered national consumption. It now covers 91%, indicating that the gap between supply and demand is already being filled by poultry raised outside Germany.
If the ZDG’s consumption projection is realised while domestic capacity continues to lag, import requirements will rise further. The available figures do not identify the supplying countries or quantify future import volumes. They nevertheless show a clear commercial opening for foreign poultry producers, while exposing German farmers and processors to greater competition in their home market.
Permitting and disease constrain capacity
The ZDG says German companies want to invest and add capacity but are being held back by restrictive operating conditions. The association points to lengthy approval procedures for new barns, more demanding animal-welfare and environmental rules, and extensive reporting obligations. It has called for planning, construction, environmental and emissions-control procedures to become simpler, more digital and more predictable. It also wants authorities to accelerate the conversion of empty livestock buildings.
Animal disease adds another constraint. The industry cited cases of Newcastle disease, also known as atypical avian influenza, identified in Brandenburg and Bavaria in the spring. Such outbreaks can disrupt farms and complicate investment decisions even when underlying consumer demand remains strong.
The market outlook therefore depends on whether German production can close the gap with consumption. Faster permitting and the reuse of vacant barns could support additional domestic supply, but any expansion must still comply with welfare and environmental requirements. Until capacity begins growing at a rate closer to demand, importers and foreign processors are positioned to capture an increasing share of Germany’s expanding poultry market.
