In 2021, the average German consumer's beef consumption remained stable at 9.8 kg, despite a decline in beef production due to a decrease in animal populations and COVID-19-related restrictions in slaughterhouses. German farmers kept 11.2 million cattle in 2020, a 2.2% decrease from the previous year, and the number of cattle commercially slaughtered fell by 4.2% to 3.2 million animals. The German Raiffeisen Association (DRV) expects that beef will become a luxury good in the medium term due to its scarcity, despite high sales prices being balanced by high raw material costs, which are expected to limit market growth in 2022.