Beer sales in Germany recorded a historic annual decline last year, with volumes down 6%, or 497.1 million liters, as consumers continued to cut back on consumption. The figures were published by the Federal Statistical Office and reported by DPA, cited by Agerpres.
German breweries sold around 7.8 billion liters of alcoholic beer, the lowest level since data collection began in 1993. For the first time, annual sales fell below eight billion liters. The figures do not include non-alcoholic beer, which has gained popularity as younger consumers increasingly focus on healthier lifestyles.
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Weak consumer demand weighs on the sector
The downturn extends a multi-year decline, with 2025 sales well below pandemic levels in 2020 and 2021, when restrictions on restaurants and bars reshaped consumption patterns.
The German Brewers Association (DBB) pointed to a challenging consumption environment. “Like retailers and restaurants, breweries are feeling the impact of a significant pullback in consumer spending,” said Holger Eichele, Managing Director of the DBB. He added that the hospitality sector remains under pressure, with many businesses still struggling to recover from the pandemic.
About 82.5% of beer production, or 6.4 billion liters, was sold on the domestic market, marking a 5.8% year-on-year decline. The remaining 17.5%, equivalent to 1.4 billion liters, was exported or allocated to brewery staff and therefore exempt from domestic sales tax, representing a 7% decrease.
Of the exported volume, 798.5 million liters were shipped to EU member states, 552.8 million liters to non-EU markets, and around 10 million liters were provided free of charge to brewery employees as a benefit.
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