Beer consumption in Germany is set to decline further in 2024, continuing a long-term downward trend in the country renowned for its beer culture, according to the German Brewers Association, as reported by DPA.
Key Facts:
- Final sales figures for 2024 are anticipated to be weaker than 2023, which saw the lowest beer sales volume in decades, with only 8.4 billion liters sold.
- In November 2024, beer consumption fell by 2.1% compared to the same period the previous year, though December’s data has not yet been gathered.
- Christian Weber, President of the Brewers Association, pointed to factors such as bad weather, inflation, and fluctuations in consumer spending as contributing to the decline in beer sales.
What To Follow
Amid this decline, many of the approximately 1,500 breweries in Germany are pinning their hopes on non-alcoholic beer varieties to counteract the drop in traditional beer sales.
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In 2023, Germans consumed approximately 670 million liters of non-alcoholic beer, with this category accounting for 8.9% of the total beer market by the end of 2024, according to Nielsen data cited by the Brewers Association. Non-alcoholic beer has thus become the third most popular beer type in Germany, after pilsner and lager (helles). This shift toward non-alcoholic options is partly driven by a broader trend toward healthier lifestyles.
The aging population is another contributing factor, with fewer people consuming beer overall, further impacting per capita beer consumption.
