The German kitchen industry sold €5.63 billion of kitchen furniture in 2025, and the average kitchen bought through specialist retail cost €12,177, according to the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Die Moderne Küche (AMK). The article puts that average next to the price per running metre of the four market tiers, the installation and connection costs that quotes leave out, the delivery times by segment and the rules that apply when a rented flat in Germany comes without a kitchen.
How large the German kitchen market is and what the average kitchen cost in 2025
The German kitchen furniture industry turned over €5.63 billion in 2025, 0.42 percent less than in 2024, with €3.04 billion sold in Germany and €2.59 billion exported, an export share of 46 percent, and the average kitchen sold in Germany cost €12,177 in 2025 and €12,404 in January and February 2026, according to the annual press conference of the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Die Moderne Küche (AMK) reported by Möbelmarkt on 3 June 2026. The AMK is the trade association of the German kitchen furniture and appliance industry, and its figures are the reference numbers that German trade press and retailers quote.
Kitchen furniture held 28.7 percent of the German furniture market in 2025 while the furniture market as a whole shrank by 1.1 percent. Kitchen specialist retail (Küchenfachhandel) increased its revenue by 3.9 percent in 2025 on 1.3 percent fewer kitchens sold, and the average order value rose by 5.3 percent, which the AMK reads as a shift of buyers towards higher-priced kitchens. Built-in appliances sold through furniture and kitchen retail rose 0.8 percent in volume and 2.0 percent in revenue.
The year before was weaker. The AMK press release of 20 May 2025 reported industry revenue of €5.66 billion for 2024, a fall of 6.48 percent, with domestic sales down 8.23 percent to €3.04 billion and exports down 4.38 percent to €2.62 billion, according to the AMK press release on the 2025 economic press conference. The same release notes that smart appliances made up 29.4 percent of built-in appliance revenue in 2024 and that dishwashers in energy classes A to C reached 43 percent of sales in the first quarter of 2025, up from 34 percent in 2023.
| AMK figure | 2022 | 2024 | 2025 | Jan to Feb 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Industry revenue | €6.24 billion | €5.66 billion | €5.63 billion | not reported |
| Domestic revenue | not reported | €3.04 billion | €3.04 billion | not reported |
| Export revenue | not reported | €2.62 billion | €2.59 billion | not reported |
| Average kitchen price | €11,379 | not reported | €12,177 | €12,404 |
The 2022 column comes from the AMK figures reported by Möbelmarkt on 10 May 2023: an average of €11,379, up €1,042 or about 10 percent on 2021, on 8.5 percent fewer kitchens, with the segment above €20,000 growing by close to 34 percent. Between 2022 and early 2026 the average price therefore rose by €1,025, or 9 percent, while industry revenue fell from €6.24 billion to €5.63 billion.
What a kitchen costs per running metre in the four German market tiers
A fitted kitchen in Germany costs about €300 to €600 per running metre in the budget tier, €600 to €1,000 in the standard tier, €1,200 to €2,000 for established German brands and more than €2,500 per metre in the premium tier, in each case including appliances and excluding installation, according to the 2026 price guide of the Hamburg kitchen studio System-Idee on what a kitchen costs. The guide quotes the same AMK averages of €12,177 for 2025 and €12,404 for early 2026 as the market midpoint.
By layout the same guide starts a straight kitchen line at about €1,300 for a simple furniture-store line and ends the range at €8,000 to €10,000 for a premium line, an L-shaped kitchen from about €1,900 to more than €15,000, a U-shaped kitchen from about €5,000 to €24,000 fully equipped, and an island kitchen from about €6,000 to more than €30,000 in the design segment. The composition of the price is stable across tiers: furniture 40 to 50 percent, appliances 25 to 35 percent, worktops 10 to 15 percent, and sink, taps and assembly 10 to 15 percent.
| Market tier, Germany 2026 | Price per running metre | 6 m kitchen, furniture and appliances |
|---|---|---|
| Budget lines | €300 to €600 | €1,800 to €3,600 |
| Standard | €600 to €1,000 | €3,600 to €6,000 |
| Established German brands | €1,200 to €2,000 | €7,200 to €12,000 |
| Premium and design | above €2,500 | above €15,000 |
The third column multiplies the per-metre range by six metres, the length of a typical L-shaped kitchen with two runs of three metres, and is arithmetic on the guide's figures rather than a quoted price. The AMK average of €12,177 for 2025 sits at the top of the brand tier on that scale, which matches the association's observation that buyers moved towards higher-priced orders in 2025. All prices in Germany are quoted to private buyers including value added tax at the standard rate of 19 percent under Section 12(1) of the Umsatzsteuergesetz (UStG).
Which costs a kitchen quote in Germany leaves out and how long delivery takes
A kitchen quote in Germany normally covers furniture, appliances and worktop and leaves out installation at €500 to €2,000 (typically €1,200 to €2,000 for a 4 to 6 m kitchen), removal and disposal of the old kitchen at €200 to €800, electrical work at €300 to €1,500 and plumbing at €200 to €800, according to the System-Idee guide for 2026. A buyer who adds those four items to a €12,000 order should expect a total between €13,200 and €17,100.
Delivery times in 2026 depend on the segment: 6 to 8 weeks for standard kitchens, 10 to 14 weeks for established German brands and 14 to 18 weeks for the premium segment, according to the same guide. A tenant who moves into a flat without a kitchen on the first of a month and orders a brand kitchen on arrival therefore cooks without one for about three months; the order date, not the moving date, starts the clock.
- Installation: €500 to €2,000, most often €1,200 to €2,000 for 4 to 6 m.
- Removal and disposal of the old kitchen: €200 to €800.
- Electrical connections and new sockets: €300 to €1,500.
- Water and drain connections: €200 to €800.
- Delivery: 6 to 8 weeks (standard), 10 to 14 weeks (German brands), 14 to 18 weeks (premium).
The hourly rates behind the installation figures are those of the joinery, electrical and plumbing trades, €63 to €65 net per hour in the 2023 survey reported by the Deutsche Handwerks Zeitung and €68 to €72 net for a journeyman in 2026 forecasts, which the article on Handwerker rates and renovation costs in Munich, Berlin and Hamburg sets out with the regional differences. The labour share of a kitchen installation qualifies for the 20 percent income tax credit of Section 35a EStG, up to €1,200 per year, when the invoice separates labour from materials and is paid by bank transfer.
How the AMK recommends planning the working height and clearances
The AMK recommends a working height 10 to 15 cm below the elbow height of the main user, because the elbow and not the body height decides a comfortable posture, and notes that electric height adjustment can move an entire kitchen run up and down by up to 10 cm, according to the AMK consumer guide on kitchen ergonomics. A person whose elbow stands 105 cm above the floor therefore works best on a worktop between 90 cm and 95 cm.
The clearance in front of the units is set by DIN 18040-2 where a kitchen has to be barrier-free: at least 120 cm of free depth in front of kitchen units at the basic level and 150 cm at the wheelchair level R, with a corner arrangement recommended so that the 150 cm by 150 cm turning area overlaps the working positions; the article on DIN 18040-2 dimensions for a barrier-free flat gives the full table. Two facing runs of 60 cm deep units in a galley kitchen therefore need a room at least 240 cm wide at the basic level.
What the rules are when a rented flat in Germany comes without a kitchen
A rented flat in Germany may be let without a kitchen, and when the landlord does provide one the rent share for the kitchen is calculated from its purchase price divided by its useful life plus interest on the capital, so that a €10,000 kitchen with a 10-year useful life at 5 percent interest adds about €125 per month, according to the Deutsche Anwaltauskunft guide to fitted kitchens in rented flats, updated 10 July 2024. The Bundesgerichtshof ruled on 13 April 2016 in case VIII ZR 198/15 that the tenant owes that rent share even when the kitchen is not used.
The same guide sets out the practical rules. For a landlord's kitchen the tenant pays for small repairs such as a broken switch, and the landlord replaces defective appliances such as a refrigerator or an oven. A tenant who removes the landlord's kitchen to install a personal one needs the landlord's permission, keeps paying the rent share, stores the removed parts "sauber, trocken und sicher" (clean, dry and secure) and reinstalls them at move-out. A tenant who bought a kitchen for a flat let without one sells it to the next tenant by a transfer payment (Ablöse) negotiated directly between the two tenants, or removes it.
| Situation in a German rented flat | Who pays | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Landlord's kitchen, rent share | tenant, purchase price over useful life plus interest | Deutsche Anwaltauskunft, 10 July 2024 |
| Landlord's kitchen, small repair (switch, hinge) | tenant | Deutsche Anwaltauskunft, 10 July 2024 |
| Landlord's kitchen, defective appliance | landlord | Deutsche Anwaltauskunft, 10 July 2024 |
| Landlord's kitchen not used by the tenant | tenant still pays the rent share | BGH VIII ZR 198/15, 13 April 2016 |
| Tenant's own kitchen at move-out | next tenant by Ablöse, or removal | Deutsche Anwaltauskunft, 10 July 2024 |
The walls behind a tenant's kitchen are subject to the ordinary rules on cosmetic repairs: holes for wall units and the paint behind the run count as normal wear or as the tenant's restoration duty depending on the lease clause and the handover state, which the article on Schönheitsreparaturen and tenant painting rules explains with the Bundesgerichtshof case numbers.
Frequently asked questions about costs and subsidies in Germany
The answers below repeat the figures and legal references from the article in short form, so that each answer can be read on its own.
- What does an average fitted kitchen cost in Germany?
- The AMK reported an average price of 12,177 euros for a kitchen sold in Germany in 2025 and 12,404 euros in January and February 2026, up from 11,379 euros in 2022, in figures presented at its annual press conference on 3 June 2026.
- How large is the German kitchen furniture industry?
- The German kitchen furniture industry turned over 5.63 billion euros in 2025, 3.04 billion euros at home and 2.59 billion euros abroad, an export share of 46 percent, according to the AMK press conference of June 2026.
- What does a kitchen cost per running metre in Germany?
- The 2026 guide of the Hamburg kitchen studio System-Idee gives about 300 to 600 euros per metre for budget lines, 600 to 1,000 euros for standard, 1,200 to 2,000 euros for established German brands and above 2,500 euros per metre for premium kitchens, including appliances but excluding installation.
- How long is the delivery time for a kitchen in Germany?
- System-Idee states 6 to 8 weeks for standard kitchens, 10 to 14 weeks for established German brands and 14 to 18 weeks for the premium segment in 2026.
- Does a rented flat in Germany come with a kitchen?
- Not necessarily. When the landlord provides a kitchen, the Deutsche Anwaltauskunft explains that its rent share is calculated from the purchase price divided by the useful life plus interest, about 125 euros per month for a 10,000 euro kitchen over 10 years at 5 percent; a tenant's own kitchen is sold to the next tenant by a transfer payment (Ablöse).