Beverages: 1.4 billion liters less beer brewed worldwide

The world is drinking less beer, with global production falling by 0.7% to 189.6 billion liters last year. The analysis from BarthHaas, the world's largest hop trader, indicates a shrinking market, although the figures include a growing segment of non-alcoholic beers in some regions.

Europe experienced a notable 1.6% decrease in beer output, totaling 51 billion liters. This decline was particularly influenced by reductions in Germany and Poland. Despite this, Germany maintained its position as the sixth-largest beer producer globally, brewing 7.9 billion liters. It trails behind major producers like China, the United States, Brazil, Mexico, and Russia.

North America also saw a significant downturn, with production dropping by 1.9% to 34 billion liters. The United States alone contributed nearly a billion liters to this decline, a reduction that Mexico's increased output of nearly 15 billion liters could not offset. In contrast, South America's production rose by 1.7% to 25 billion liters, largely driven by Brazil's growth. Africa showed the strongest growth, with a 2.6% increase to nearly 17 billion liters.

The hop market faces its own challenges. While Germany leads in hop cultivation area and harvest volume, global hop production has also declined, even faster than beer production. The global hop cultivation area shrank by 5.5% to 52,660 hectares, and the harvest volume fell by 3.8% to 109,188 tons. Experts at BarthHaas note that hop production in 2025 still surpassed demand, indicating a persistent oversupply. For the current year, BarthHaas anticipates largely stable, possibly slightly lower, beer production, with growth in Africa and parts of the Americas expected to be absorbed by declines in Europe and North America, keeping the hop market tense.