- Germans buy less fish for more money
Germany's private households bought less fish last year but spent more money on it. Overall, they bought 418,240 metric tons of fish and seafood last year, which is around 4.2% less than in 2022, according to Petra Weigl, chairwoman of the Fish Information Center, in Hamburg. They spent nearly 5.1 billion euros on it - almost 3.7% more than the previous year.
"This is a record that is only surpassed by the two exceptional years during the COVID-19 pandemic," Weigl explained. In the last pre-COVID year of 2019, households bought almost 401,000 metric tons of fish and seafood and spent nearly 4.1 billion euros on it. The average price per kilogram was then 9.80 euros, reaching 12.13 euros last year - an increase of almost 24%.
Weigl: Germans eat too little fish
For Weigl, this shows that consumers are increasingly consciously shaping their fish consumption and paying particular attention to the value of their purchases. However, she also noted: "Unfortunately, we Germans still eat too little fish." She referred to the German Society for Nutrition (DGE), which recommends eating at least one to two portions of fish per week.
According to data from the Fish Information Center, Germans are far from this recommendation. Preliminary figures show that per capita consumption last year was 12.5 kilograms. Weigl expects this figure to rise to around 13.3 kilograms upon finalization of the numbers - after 14.4 kilograms in 2022. However, this would still put Germans well below the global average of 20 kilograms. In countries like Spain, Japan, Norway, and Portugal, fish consumption is several times higher. On islands such as Iceland, the Maldives, or Kiribati, each resident eats an average of more than 60 kilograms of fish per year.
Salmon is the Germans' favorite fish again
Last year, salmon once again displaced Alaska pollock as the Germans' favorite fish. Following that, according to Weigl, were tuna, herring, and shrimp, which together accounted for two-thirds of the entire market. Other popular choices included trout, squid, cod, mackerel, and catfish. As in the previous year, Germans preferred to eat fish from cans and as frozen products. Following those were crustaceans and mollusks, and then fresh fish. Germans also have clear preferences for where they shop for fish. 49% of fish and shellfish were sold in discount stores, and 41% in supermarkets and consumer markets. Only 4% of products were sold in specialized fish shops.
Traditionally, the most fish is eaten in the northern part of the country. Schleswig-Holstein residents, with a per capita consumption of 6.7 kilograms, surpassed Bremen residents, who consumed 6.4 kilograms. Following them were Hamburg and Lower Saxony, each with 6.1 kilograms. The only exception was the Baltic Sea state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, with 5.1 kilograms, landing it in the lower third of the ranking. As in the previous year, Baden-Württemberg came in last with 4.7 kilograms of fish per capita. The national average was 5.4 kilograms - 200 grams less than the previous year.
There was a slight increase in fish sales in the first half of the year.
Looking at the figures for the first half of 2024, Weigl expressed optimism. According to these figures, 214,649 metric tons of fish and seafood had already been sold to private households. This represented an increase of 0.6% compared to the first half of 2023. Weigl emphasized: "The first half of the year is an interesting period for our industry, as it is traditionally very sales-driven due to Easter business and then transitions into the vacation and barbecue season."
The record in fish consumption mentioned by Weigl was only surpassed during the Coronavirus pandemic. Despite Germans eating less fish overall in 2023, they spent more due to price increases, with the average price per kilogram reaching 12.13 euros, an increase of almost 24% from 2019.
Shrimp, along with tuna, herring, and salmon, accounted for two-thirds of the fish market in Germany, making them popular choices for consumers.
