German Art Market Struggles Amid Regional Focus and Tax Reforms
Germany's art market is experiencing a downturn, with a 4% decrease in sales from 2024 to 2025, according to the Art Basel and UBS Art Market Report, even as other EU markets expand. This downturn follows a reduction in the tax on art sales from 19% to 7%. Thomas W. Rieger acknowledges signs of recovery, yet Daniel Wichelhaus cautions that the tax cut is insufficient, emphasizing the necessity for lower interest rates and reduced global conflicts. Ongoing structural challenges include a 5.2% healthcare insurance tax on freelance earnings. In 2025, domestic buyers accounted for 80% of sales. Events like Art Cologne's satellite in Palma Mallorca featured over half of its galleries from Spain. Art Düsseldorf is set to launch next week with 119 galleries, while dealers seek international expansion to counteract slowdowns.
Key facts
- German art sales contracted by 4% between 2024 and 2025, while EU markets grew by 2% on average.
- Tax on art sales in Germany was reduced from 19% to 7% last year after a decade-long battle.
- Domestic buyers accounted for 80% of German dealer sales in 2025, one of the highest concentrations in the Art Basel and UBS survey.
- Art Cologne held a satellite edition in Palma Mallorca from April 9 to 12, 2026, with over half of its 88 galleries from Spain.
- Art Düsseldorf opens next week with a record 119 galleries.
- The Künstlersozialkasse requires German companies to pay 5.2% of freelance creative fees into a health care insurance fund for artists.
- 38% of surveyed German dealers reported profit declines year over year, with only 28% expecting sales to improve this year.
- Konrad Fischer Galerie opened a project space in Los Angeles and an office in New York last year to offset German market slowdowns.
Entities
Artists
- Thomas W. Rieger
- Daniel Wichelhaus
- Judy Lybke
Institutions
- Artnet News
- The Back Room
- Art Cologne
- Art Düsseldorf
- Art Basel
- UBS
- Konrad Fischer Galerie
- Société
- Eigen + Art
- Künstlersozialkasse
- Hauser and Wirth
- Gathering
Locations
- Germany
- Mallorca
- Spain
- Berlin
- Düsseldorf
- France
- Switzerland
- Los Angeles
- New York
- Qatar
- Hong Kong
- Balearics
- Menorca
- Ibiza
- Rhine
- Rhineland
- Benelux
- Palma
- EU