Germany is one of the largest markets for fruit in Europe. The relative affluence of its population of 83 million people makes it an attractive outlet for exporters from many countries. This product brief highlights certain aspects of the German fruit market and provides marketing, trade, and regulatory information for U.S. exporters.
Germany, with a population of 82.8 million (16%of the EU-28 total population), has the largest economy in Europe and is a leading European market for foods and beverages. In 2017, food retail sales in Germany totaled 243 billion Euro (approx. USD274 billion)
In 2013, German households spend 23 Euro (approx. USD 25) per month on fruits. Germany is the 6th largest fruit producer in the EU-28 and the largest fruit consumer. In MY 2016/174, Germans consumed approximately 8.1 million MT of fruit, including frozen and canned fruits on a fresh weight basis. Germans show a preference for fresh fruits, but in MY2016/17 consumed 73,515 MT of frozen fruits and 122,000 MT of dried fruits.
The top five fruits consumed in Germany are apples, bananas, oranges, grapes, and clementines. However, Germans are also quite familiar with exotic fruits such as mangos, passion fruit, avocados, and lychees. Germany’s position as the largest EU-28 consumer of fruits results from the size of its population rather than high per capita consumption. Per capita consumption of fruits has been declining since 2005, aggravated by stiff competition from sweets and other snacks.
Other factors within the German socio-economic makeup, in particular its aging and increasingly foreign-born population, could favor an increase in per capita fruit consumption. At the end of 2016, percent of the population was 65 years and older while only 13.5 percent were younger than 15 years.
