Ice Land Germany - the fact check (update January 2024)

Ice cream is more than just a dessert - it is a cultural phenomenon and an integral part of the German summer. In this blog post, we delve into the world of ice cream in Germany and answer some of the most interesting questions about ice cream in Germany: from price trends and regional differences to consumer behavior - we shed light on the many facets of ice cream enjoyment in Germany.

Let's go on a delicious journey together and take a closer look at the world of German ice cream!

Question 1: Has ice cream become (much) more expensive?

It's almost a tradition in Germany to complain about the rising price of ice cream at the start of the summer - and in 2023 the moaning was particularly loud.

In fact, the price of a scoop of ice cream in Germany rose by an average of around 17% in 2023 compared to 2022. While a scoop of ice cream cost around €1.30 on average in Germany in 2022, it was already €1.50 in 2023.

Of course, there are huge differences between north and south and the various federal states. As you would expect, the cold treat was most expensive on average in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg , but cheapest in Saxony-Anhalt.

Of course, like everything else, ice cream is more expensive in big cities than in the countryside. Munich, with an average of € 2.03 for a scoop, is Germany's most expensive ice cream city. Stuttgart is in second place with an average of € 1.87, Frankfurt (€ 1.80), Berlin (€ 1.77) and Leipzig (€ 1.70) are only just behind.

Overall, the price of a scoop of ice cream rose by around 33.6% from 2018 to 2023, while the German consumer price index "only" rose by 18.8% in the same period.

Conclusion Question 1: Yes, ice cream has indeed become significantly more expensive in Germany

Question 2: Are ice cream parlors earning more money with the increased prices?

So we have seen that ice cream has indeed become significantly more expensive in Germany. But does this also mean that the ice cream makers are now earning their famous "golden noses"? No!

There are good reasons for the increased price. Firstly, the production of ice cream is very energy-intensive and electricity prices have risen sharply in 2023. Some of the most important ice cream raw materials such as sugar, dextrose and milk cost between 50% and 100% more than in 2022. There are also many other factors such as increased personnel and heating costs. All in all, it has to be said that the ice cream parlors have calculated their prices extremely fairly - because the price increases should actually have been even higher.

Fazitum question 2: No, the ice cream parlors are not earning more money than in previous years despite the price increases

Question 3: Is ice cream particularly expensive in Germany?

Let's remember: the average scoop of ice cream in Germany costs €1.50. Does that make us an expensive country for ice cream?

In our favorite vacation destinations Italy and France, a scoop costs an average of two euros. In Portugal and Greece, it's already €2.50 , and in Spain it's as much as three euros. And in the UK, a scoop of ice cream really is a small luxury at an average of almost €3.50 .

Germany's most expensive ice cream city, Munich, is also a real ice cream discounter compared to other major European cities: In Vienna, a scoop costs € 2.30, around 30 ct. more than in Munich, in Budapest € 2.70 and in Palma de Mallorca or Paris € 3.50 on average. And in Copenhagen, a scoop costs €4.50 , more than twice as much as in Munich.

Conclusion Question 3: No, ice cream is not particularly expensive in Germany - in fact, it is cheaper than in almost any other European country

Question 4: How many ice cream parlors are there in Germany - and are there more or fewer?

As of 2021, there were a total of 4,900 ice cream parlors in Germany - that's an average of one ice cream parlor per almost 17,000 inhabitants.

Incidentally, the highest density of ice cream parlors in major German cities was not in Munich, but in Dresden and Leipzig.

The small town of Sirmione on the southern shore of Lake Garda in Italy has just over 8,000 inhabitants, an old town 400 meters long and 200 meters wide, but a total of 12 ice cream parlors. That equates to one ice cream parlor for every 685 inhabitants - or 150 ice cream parlors per square kilometer. If that's not record-breaking...

Incidentally, the total number of ice cream parlors in Germany has been falling for several years: Where there were a total of around 4,900 ice cream parlors in Germany in 2021, there were still 5,500 in 2017 and as many as 6,100 in 2008.

Conclusion Question 4: There are 4,900 ice cream parlors in Germany - but there are many more elsewhere. What's more, there are (unfortunately) fewer and fewer

Question 5: How much ice cream do Germans eat - and what kind?

Overall, every German eats an average of around 8.1 liters of ice cream per year - a figure that has remained relatively constant for at least 10 years. Incidentally, the European leader in per capita ice cream consumption is - who would have thought it - Estonia, with 12.5 liters of ice cream per capita.

The largest share - 82.5% in 2022 - is accounted for by industrial ice cream, i.e. packaged ice cream from the big industrial players, the well-known popsicle and impulse ice cream brands, from Magnum to Cornetto. Artisanal ice cream accounts for around 14.75% of consumption, soft ice cream only 2.75%.

Let's take a closer look at the last two figures: Every German eats an average of 1.2 liters of artisanal ice cream per year - with an average scoop size of 70 ml, that's around 17 scoops per person.

As a future ice cream parlor operator, you should remember this figure - 17 scoops per head - because you can use it to roughly estimate your expected turnover if you know your catchment area and how much competition you have.

Incidentally, Germans order an average of 1.5 scoops of ice cream per visit to an ice cream parlor - that's less than our neighbors in Austria (1.9 scoops) or Switzerland (2.2 scoops), for example.

Soft ice cream has - unfortunately - become a real niche product, as every German eats less than 2 soft ice creams per year on average. We find this really amazing when you see how big the "run" on soft ice cream is at many festivals and events, and how often you hear the exclamation "Finally, soft ice cream again!".

Conclusion Question 5: German ice cream consumption is in the middle of the European field. The proportion of industrial ice cream is very high at consistently over 80%.

Question 6: When is the most ice cream eaten?

When it comes to the season, there are few surprises: Of course, the three main months for "ice cream licking" are the summer months of June, July and August.

Less obvious, however, are the most popular days of the week and times. According to an analysis by the POS system manufacturer Orderbird, Sunday is the main ice cream day of the week - and most ice cream is eatenbetween 3 and 4 pm.

Conclusion question 6: People eat the most ice cream in summer - when else :)

Hopefully we have given you a few insights into the "Ice Land of Germany". Now all that's left is for spring to arrive - and then we can finally get going with ice cream again!