Half-year balance sheet -2025 in the catering industry

The latest figures in the half-yearly balance sheet: sales, the situation in the personnel market, the number of insolvencies and the development of energy prices

Die Halbjahresbilanz in 3 Zahlen zusammengefassst

1) Sales: H1/2025 vs. H1/2024

• Current course 2025 (Jan–May):

  After an increase in January (+2.7% real compared to December), real sales fell significantly in February (-1.7%), March (-1.3%), and May (-4.6% vs. the previous month; -4.0% vs. May 2024). April was -1.0% real compared to April 2024. The bottom line is that this indicates a real decline compared to H1 2024 until May. Final H1 figures are still pending.

  Source: Federal Statistical Office+2Federal Statistical Office+2

• Comparison to 2024 (year):

  In 2024, the hospitality industry closed at a real -2.6% year-on-year decline (nominal +0.6%). Thus, price levels remained a problem; the industry failed to return to 2019 levels in real terms.

  Source: Federal Statistical Office

  
  

• Difference to 2019 (before the pandemic):

  Even at the end of 2024, real sales were significantly below 2019 levels (e.g., November 2024: real sales in the catering industry -17.1% compared to November 2019). The H1 2025 picture (up to May) confirms: real sales remain significantly below pre-crisis levels .

  Source: Federal Statistical Office

2) Human resources market (skilled workers & employment)

• Vacancies / Bottlenecks:

  The Federal Employment Agency reported around 33,000 job openings in the hotel and hospitality industry in 2024. In 2024/25, the "skilled labor shortage" statistically eased because demand fell , not because the industry was suddenly oversupplied. Many businesses continue to reduce opening hours.

  Source: Federal Employment Agency DIE ZEIT

  
  

• Education & Trends:

  According to the IAB, new training contracts are stagnating or declining in 2024; unfilled positions remain an issue – which will exacerbate the staffing gap in the medium term.

  Source: Documentation IAB

 

3) Energy prices & margin effect

• Price level & framework

  The price caps for electricity and gas ended on December 31, 2023. In 2025, producer prices will decline slightly overall, but service prices (including those for personnel, materials, and energy ) still rose by 2.8% year-on-year in Q1 2025. For commercial and industrial sectors, BDEW analyses show that electricity and gas prices in 2024/25 will be below the extreme levels of 2022 , but above 2019 – relief, yes, but no "back to the way things were." The result: Margin pressure remains high .

  Source: WVV Federal Statistical Office+1 BDEW+ 1

  
  

• Industry feedback:

  In DEHOGA surveys for 2024/25, businesses cite energy (≈ 71%), personnel and cost of goods sold, as well as the return of VAT to 19% as key burdens. Mixing effect: higher costs meet price-sensitive guests → margins shrink . Source: Playground_1 HOGAPAGE

4) Insolvencies in the hospitality industry

• Situation 2024/25 (macroeconomic):

  Regular insolvencies have been rising again since 2023 – June 2025: +2.4% compared to the same month last year. According to Destatis, the hospitality industry is regularly among the sectors affected disproportionately .

  Source: Federal Statistical Office

  
  

• Odds & Classification:

  In 2024/25, the hospitality industry ranked among the top in terms of insolvencies per 10,000 companies (along with construction and transport). Regional official statistics support this trend. Conclusion: The number of cases is rising, albeit at different rates by country and business type.

  Source: Federal Statistical Office Statistics North+1

5) Number of companies (structural change)

• VAT-registered companies in the hospitality sector:

  Total in 2023: 202,110 (2019: 222,442) – a decrease of approximately 9% compared to pre-pandemic levels. Pubs and bars, for example, experienced particularly sharp declines (2019: 28,808 → 2023: 21,815; approximately 24%). Restaurants, at 65,919 in 2023, are even lower than in 2019 (70,619; approximately 7%). *Source: Destatis (VAT statistics), prepared by DEHOGA (as of March 2025).

  Source: DEHOGA Federal Association