According to official statistics, the German furniture industry generated around €7.9 billion in turnover in the first half of 2025 – a 5.1% decline compared with the same period last year. The domestic market was hardest hit, with revenues down 6.2% to €5.2 billion, while foreign sales fell by 2.9% to €2.7 billion. The export share rose slightly from 33.4% to 34.1%.
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Jan Kurth, Managing Director of the Associations of the German Furniture Industry, reports in Cologne on the business development of the sector.
'Our industry continues to face challenging economic conditions: internationally due to the far-reaching effects of US tariff policies, but especially in our domestic market,' said Jan Kurth, Managing Director of the German Furniture Industry Associations, at the annual economic press conference in Cologne.
A sector survey revealed that 36% of companies plan to introduce short-time work in the third quarter of 2025. Weak consumer sentiment and a decline in residential construction remain the main concerns. Kurth acknowledged government efforts to speed up planning approvals but warned that 'without a bundling and expansion of funding programmes and additional equity-replacing measures, the necessary stimulus cannot be released.'
Bureaucracy is also adding significant pressure, with the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) cited as a particular burden due to complex reporting requirements. Implementation costs are reaching six figures for some manufacturers, alongside high ongoing costs and additional staffing needs.
Despite the downturn, the sector expects a slight recovery in demand this autumn as consumers refocus on their homes and rising real incomes potentially unlock postponed purchases. For the full year, a more moderate 3% revenue decline is forecast, compared with a 7.8% drop in 2024.
Performance varied across segments. Kitchen furniture proved most resilient, down just 2% (€2.9 billion), while upholstered furniture fell 8% (€467 million) and mattresses plunged 18.8% (€217 million). Office furniture contracted sharply by 14.5% (€940 million), but shopfitting and contract furniture grew 2.1% (€975 million).
Export dynamics were mixed: sales dropped to France (-3%), Austria (-4.2%), the Netherlands (-0.7%), and the UK (-5%), but increased to Switzerland (+1.1%), Italy (+1.6%), and Spain (+6.1%). Exports to the US grew by 3.7% (€132 million) but face risks from existing 15% tariffs and potential further increases under new US policy proposals.
Furniture imports surged 15% to €5.6 billion, driven by Chinese imports rising 25% (€1.7 billion), alongside gains from Poland, Italy, and Vietnam. Imports now account for nearly 60% of the German market, up from 53.1% in 2024.
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