21
April
2026
The gap between meat and plant-proteins is getting wider as meat prices soar in Germany, a new Madre Brava data study has found.
Runaway price rises for national favourites like pork mean that a two-person household which follows German Nutrition Society (DGE) guidelines could save over €700 per year on their meat shop.
While rents in Germany have risen by around 26% since 2011, the meat price data from Euromonitor International show prices for meat products have increased by 50% over the same period.
Our analysis found:
- The price difference between pork and beans increased by €2.73 per kg from 2020 to 2025. With pork now around €10 per kg dearer than beans, the healthier alternatives are clearly ahead in the price ranking.
- The price tipping point has been reached: for the first time, meat alternatives are cheaper than processed meat (€10.41 per kg) at an average of €9.95 per kg.
- Meat prices have risen by 25% since 2021, while the price of substitute products has fallen by 8%.
- Reducing meat consumption to the level recommended by the DGE (no more than 53g meat/day) can significantly lower household expenditure. An average household could save over €700 per year on meat.
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Not a trend, a certainty
Climateflation continues to drive up meat prices. Experts are predicting further price increases due to heat stress in animal husbandry, volatile feed prices and rising refrigeration costs as a result of global warming.
At the same time, supermarkets in Germany are seeing changes in what they sell. Sales of meat alternatives in retail have risen by 43% since 2021 (to 88,500 tonnes in 2025). Retail giants such as Lidl, Rewe and Edeka are already responding with price cuts on their own-brand plant-based products.
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Better for health and climate too
Our Germany Director, Moritz Möller says: “The WHO classifies processed meat as carcinogenic and our food system is responsible for up to a third of global greenhouse gas emissions. A change in diet therefore not only protects Germans’ bank accounts, but also their health, as well as the climate.
“The structural causes of meat price rises, which weigh less heavily on plant proteins, mean those of us who adjust our diets, eating less meat and more plants, will discover new tastes, better health and a healthier bank balance.
“German supermarkets are responding to this change and have already set targets to balance their meat vs plant protein offerings.
“Now we need them to step up further and provide a level playing field with an industry-wide target. This is the best way to help household budgets by offering more tasty, affordable, healthy food.”
Read the analysis:
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