Overview
- A Forsa poll for the Verbraucherzentrale (Nov 12–14, 2025; 1,002 adults) reports 45% now avoid certain foods due to cost, up from 39% a year earlier.
- Food prices have risen by more than 35% since 2020, making healthy diets harder to afford, the association says.
- Impact is uneven: 70% of households under €2,000 net income report cutbacks versus 39% in households above €3,500, with fewer restrictions among the highly educated.
- The VAT on all restaurant meals drops from 19% to 7% on Jan. 1, 2026, yet consumer advocates expect little relief and say fast-food chains may benefit most.
- The association proposes a market observatory to detect unfair retail pricing, as 52% of respondents foresee their personal situation next year as rather negative.