Sales value of plant-based meat substitutes in selected countries in Europe in 2025 (in million euros)

In 2025, Germany was Europe's leading plant-based meat substitutes market, with sales of over  *** million euros. The market size of the United Kingdom was roughly *** million euros. By comparison, sales of meat substitutes in Spain reached around **  million euros.

Meat substitute market in Europe

Meat substitutes are vegetarian alternatives that typically approximate certain aesthetic qualities (such as texture, flavor, appearance) or chemical characteristics of specific types of meat. Many substitutes are soy-based (e.g., tofu, tempeh) or grain-based, but may also be made from peas or other plant-based sources. The German market has been growing fast. The sales of plant-based meat products in Germany increased by nearly ** percent in 2020, while those in the UK increased by approximately ** percent. Even after the pandemic, growth in Germany is expected to be in the double digits.

Vegetarianism in Europe

The largest share of non-meat eaters in Europe can be found in the Switzerland, with approximately  ** percent of the population. Eastern European countries have generally low shares, with shares ranging between *** and **** percent. In Belgium, nearly ** percent of respondents stated that they consume meat substitutes about once a week or more often.