Ready meal sales rising sharply in Germany

25,6 percent more ready meals were produced in Germany in 2024 than in 2019, according to new figures published by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis).

Germany is reaching for ready meals

Germany is producing more ready meals than ever. In 2024, factories in the federal republic produced 1,7 million tonnes of ready meals worth around 5,9 billion euros, compared to the 1,4 million tonnes produced in 2019.

In the fridge and freezer aisles of German supermarkets, ready meal shoppers are most likely to buy frozen pizzas, pasta and noodle ready meals, meat ready meals and vegetable-based ready meals. Fish-based ready meals are the least popular.

But it is pasta and noodle ready meals which have seen the biggest rise in popularity. In 2019, 344.000 tonnes of pasta and noodle ready meals were sold in German supermarkets; the same figure shot to 539.000 tonnes in 2024.

There have long been concerns about the high salt, sugar and fat content of ready meals in Germany. According to the Consumer Advice Centre (Verbraucherzentrale) in Hamburg, almost two-thirds of ready meals contain 1,5 grams of salt per 100g. Adults are advised to consume no more than 6g (around 1 teaspoon) of salt per day.

But still spending time in the kitchen

While shoppers know that frozen pizzas and convenience pasta don’t make for the most nutritious dinner, the convenience of not having to cook after a long day of work is what keeps many people reaching for ready meals.

But according to the Destatis figures, while “Convenience-Food” is flying off the shelves, people in Germany are spending about the same amount of time preparing food. 10 years ago, people aged 10 and over were spending an average of 40 minutes per day preparing food. By 2022, this figure had actually grown to an average of 41 minutes per day.

The survey also revealed figures on the gendered division of labour related to cooking and eating. In 2022, girls and women in Germany spent an average of 53 minutes on cooking, baking, laying the table and washing up every day, while boys and men gave an average of 29 minutes to such tasks.