Growth has decelerated significantly in Germany’s dairy alternatives market, due to the economy not developing as expected in 2024, thereby, leaving its pandemic-era peak in the rear-view mirror.
Germany Dairy Industry — Current Landscape
Health remains a core driver behind dairy alternatives market evolution, with consumers mindful of their dietary choices. While products like oat milk attract attention for their perceived health benefits, there is growing concern over their sugar content and potential impact on blood sugar levels. Additionally, many remain wary of ultra-processed alternatives, and are shifting their preferences toward options with shorter, more-transparent ingredient lists.
Despite these challenges, the sector holds notable opportunities for growth by sparking consumer curiosity. Combining innovative approaches with richer source ingredients and bold, adventurous flavour profiles could excite and reinvigorate interest. Offering products that meet both health and taste expectations can help bridge the gaps in consumer trust and drive renewed momentum.
Dairy Alternatives Market Germany — Statistics
- Germany Dairy Industry Trends: 59% of category shoppers are expected to buy a dairy alternative product they haven’t bought before, indicating that product and ingredient innovation are key to revitalising this market segment.
- Dairy Alternatives Market Opportunities: Between 2024 and 2029 long-term growth of +13.8% is expected.
Germany Dairy Alternatives Market Report — What’s Inside?
Key Topics Analysed in this Report
• Novel ingredients and bold flavours are key to revamping consumer interest and driving growth in the decelerating German dairy alternatives market.
• Category segmentation, with plant-based drinks dominating the segment, and dairy cheese and ice cream experiencing interesting development.
• Dairy alternatives enjoy diverse usage occasions, such as cooking with plant-based cream or yogurt.
• Health is driving the market, not only around concerns like blood sugar, but also in line with interest in claims like fermentation and protein enrichment.
Meet the Expert Behind the Analysis
This report is written by Javier Munoz. Javier joined Mintel in March 2025 after three years of experience researching food industries across the DACH region. Holding a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology and an Associate’s degree in International Business, Javier combines analytical expertise with commercial acumen to deliver valuable insights to clients.
After a pandemic-induced peak, deceleration in dairy alternatives’ use is threatening the category. Consumer curiosity can be reignited by blending flavour with functionality, to drive growth.
Javier Munoz
Research — Mintel Reports
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- What you need to know
- Opportunities
- The dairy alternatives industry continues to push boundaries with fresh innovation
- Market size & forecast for dairy alternatives
- Outlook
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OPPORTUNITIES
- Reinstate consumer curiosity with novelty
- Plant-based food stagnation drives a need for innovation
- New base ingredients pique consumers’ curiosity
- Pistachio – the last source ingredient to land in the German market
- Blur category lines to fuel new product combinations
- Resonate with consumer identities
- Fading drivers in dairy alternatives, with opportunity in brand values
- Connect with consumers through choice
- Emulate dairy’s properties while celebrating unique flavour profiles
- Emphasise health by intersecting indulgence and functional benefits
- Bet on fungus fermentation
- Seamlessly integrate health and indulgence
- Healthy dairy alternatives: a future of possibilities
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THE CONSUMER
- Usage of dairy and dairy alternatives
- Usage of dairy alternatives shows stable development between 2023-24
- Graph 1: usage of dairy and dairy alternatives in the last month (net), 2022-24
- The generational gap widens
- Graph 2: usage of dairy alternatives in the last month, by generation, 2022-24
- Dairy alternatives see mixed trends in 2024
- Graph 3: usage of dairy alternatives in the last month, by type, 2022-24
- Oat continues to be the most-used base ingredient in dairy alternatives
- Graph 4: usage of base ingredients in dairy alternatives in the last month, 2024
- Pea as an emerging base ingredient
- Purchase of dairy alternatives
- More than a quarter of Germans buy dairy alternatives
- Gender influences dairy purchasing decisions
- Graph 5: purchase of dairy and dairy alternative products in the last month by gender, 2024
- Urban population more likely to purchase dairy alternatives
- Graph 6: purchase of dairy products and dairy alternatives in the last month, by area, 2024
- Usage occasions for dairy and dairy alternatives
- Dairy’s wide reach becomes apparent in use occasions
- Graph 7: uses for any dairy and any dairy alternatives in the last month*, 2024
- Milk in coffee and tea is the leading use for dairy milk and milk alternatives alike
- Graph 8: usage occasions for dairy milk and milk alternatives, 2024
- Yogurt alternatives rise with new uses, boosting confidence in cooking
- Graph 9: usage occasions for dairy yogurt/yogurt drinks and yogurt/yogurt drink alternatives, 2024
- Cream alternatives take the lead in diverse uses
- Graph 10: usage occassions for cream alternatives and dairy cream, 2024
- Attitudes & behaviours towards dairy alternatives
- Strong demand for more-flavourful dairy alternatives
- Graph 11: behaviours towards dairy products and dairy alternatives, 2024
- Parents take note as their kids ask for fewer dairy products
- Tap into familiarity to allow parents to align their nutrition with their kids’ needs
- Dairy alternative brands need to bridge flavour and functionality expectations
- Consumers welcome new product formats
- Blood sugar concerns influence dairy alternative perceptions…
- …with different outcomes depending on consumer profiles
- German consumers see dairy products as superior in processing and for active lifestyles
- Graph 12: attitudes towards dairy and dairy alternative products, 2024
- Processed food concerns span across categories
- Fewer ingredients make for a better consumer perception
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INNOVATION
- Plant-based drinks poised to rebound in new product launches
- Graph 13: plant-based/vegan food & drink launches, by sub-category, 2022-25
- Bold flavours and classics reimagined: the latest in plant-based ice cream launches
- Plant-based cheese: tradition meets innovation
- Health claims are a constant in the German plant-based dairy alternatives market
- Graph 14: dairy alternative launches with health claims, 2022-25
- The fermentation trend hits a maximum in new product launches
- Graph 15: fermented plant-based drinks and spoonable yogurt launches, 2015-25
- Protein enrichment on the way to peak
- Oat leads plant-based milk in Germany
- Graph 16: plant-based/vegan food & drink launches, by selected food ingredients and all children, 2022-25
- DUG’s potato milk launches in Germany: a bold step in plant-based innovation
- Shifting tastes from classics to fruity
- Graph 17: plant-based drink and yogurt launches, by flavour component subgroup, 2022-25
- Flavour innovation: boldness is key
- New formats adapt to smaller households
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THE MARKET
- Market drivers
- Germans remain sceptical about their country’s economic outlook
- Graph 18: GDP growth and consumer price index, 2020-26
- Many experience pressure when grocery shopping…
- …but consumer confidence is improving
- Rising dairy prices could reshape consumer choice
- Graph 19: consumer price index for dairy products and ice cream, 2020-24
- Awareness and availability grow, as do product launches
- Graph 20: share of food & drink launches carrying vegan/plant-based ingredient claims, 2018-25
- Veganuary continues to gain relevance
- Health concerns are a driver for healthier eating in Germany
- Graph 21: consumption frequency of functional/fortified food & drink in the last three months, 2023-24
- Market size
- Value growth hits a minimum in dairy alternatives
- Graph 22: volume market size for dairy alternatives, 2020-24
- Graph 23: value market size for dairy alternatives, 2020-24
- Germany’s dairy alternatives market stagnates since 2020
- Market segmentation
- Plant-based drinks continue to dominate
- Graph 24: value retail sales for dairy alternatives, by segment, 2022-24
- Graph 25: volume retail sales for dairy alternatives, by segment, 2022-24
- Plant-based ice cream forgedahead as cheese struggled to maintain value sales
- Graph 26: annual growth in retail value and volume sales for dairy alternatives, by segment, 2024
- Market forecast
- Value sales increase more slowly than expected
- Graph 27: retail value sales of dairy alternatives, 2019-29
- Volume sales of dairy alternatives projected to see 8.4% growth from 2024-29
- Graph 28: retail volume sales of dairy alternatives, 2019-29
- Most likely scenarios depict future market stagnation
- Forecast – a note on US trade disruption
- Impact of US trade disruption for the dairy alternatives market
- Market share
- Danone loses ground as market leader
- Private labels see an increase in volume shares
- Despite market growth, innovation in private-label plant-based dairy alternatives decreases
- Discounters gain an advantage in times of down-trading
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APPENDIX
- Report scope and definitions
- Market definition
- Abbreviations
- Methodology – consumer research
- Consumer research methodology
- A note on language
- Methodology – market size and forecast
- Forecast methodology
- Forecast methodology – fan chart
- Market size – value
- Market size – volume
- Market forecast and prediction intervals – value
- Market forecast and prediction intervals – volume
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