The food industry in Germany reported a 3.2% year-on-year growth in sales to €185.3 billion in 2019, according to data from BVE - the federation of German food and drink industries.
As a result, the economy of the sector continued to stabilise at a high level despite clear signs of an overall economic downturn, the BVE added.
International sales increased by 4.5% to €62.2 billion compared to 2018, with food exports to non-EU countries, such as Asia, reporting significant growth, of 10.9%.
Domestic food sales increased only slightly, to €123.1 billion, in 2019.
Job Creation
The sector also witnessed the creation of approximately 10,000 new jobs during this period, with 6,123 companies employing a total of around 618,721 people.
The food industry also achieved a better overall gender balance, with 54% male employees and 46% female employees.
The data also revealed that half of the employees in the food industry worked in wage-bound companies, confirming the industry's image as a reliable employer.
© 2020 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Dayeeta Das. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
