In 2024 Germany produced 7.7 billion litres of sugary cola, sodas and other sweetened drinks, about 93 litres per capita, according to the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis). Production of sugar‑sweetened beverages has barely changed compared with the previous year, down 0.2 percent, and was 0.7 percent lower than in 2019.
At the same time, production of light (low‑calorie) versions rose. 1.5 billion litres of reduced‑energy cola and sodas were produced in 2024, equating to 18 litres per person. This represents a 5.7 percent increase over 2023 and a 6.1 percent rise compared with 2019. Despite this growth, the volume of sugary drinks still exceeds that of light products.
Water beverages dominate the market. In 2024, 12.7 billion litres of mineral, tap and therapeutic water were produced in Germany, or roughly 152 litres per person.
Daily sugar intake in Germany is far above the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendation. WHO advises that a healthy 2,000‑calorie adult consume no more than 50 grams of sugar per day-about 17 sugar cubes. In 2023, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reported that Germans, on average, consumed 41.2 kg of sugar annually, or 38 sugar cubes per day. The global average was 26.2 kg per person per year, or 24 cubes. Thus, German consumption exceeds the global average by more than 30 percent.
To curb high sugar consumption, WHO estimates that in 2024 116 countries, including France, Poland, the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, India and South Africa, imposed taxes on sugary drinks. Studies show that price hikes of at least 20 percent, resulting from such taxes, reduce consumption of sugary beverages by a proportional amount.
High sugar intake is linked to increased risks of obesity, type‑2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. In 2022, almost a quarter (24 percent) of German adults and 8 percent of children aged 5 to 19 were obese, compared with 16 percent of adults and 8 percent of youth worldwide. The adult obesity rate worldwide has more than doubled between 1990 and 2022; childhood obesity has quadrupled.
Since 2006, 61 percent of the German adult population has been classified as overweight, a rate that has remained unchanged. The figure was 53 percent in 1992, a 30‑year earlier comparison. In 2022, 25 percent of German children and adolescents were overweight, compared with 43 percent of adults and 20 percent of youths globally.
