Germany’s public coffers collected €429.7 million in dog taxes in 2025, effectively ending the steady rise recorded in earlier years. The Federal Statistical Office, Destatis, reported the figures on Wednesday, October 7.

Receipts were only 0.1% below the €429.9 million record set in 2024. Over a decade, however, revenue increased by 33.4%, up from €322 million in 2015.

The levy is administered by municipalities, which set their own rates and rules. Charges may vary according to the number of dogs in a household or the animal’s breed, meaning higher tax revenue cannot be treated as direct evidence that more dogs are being kept.

Food costs have also risen sharply over the medium term. Dog and cat food was 0.4% more expensive in 2025 than a year earlier, but prices stood 35.8% above 2020 levels, outpacing the 21.9% increase in overall consumer prices during the same period.