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Global alcohol consumption to decrease in next five years
๐Ÿ‡ท๐Ÿ‡ด Romania /Economy & Trade

Global alcohol consumption to decrease in next five years

From Adevฤƒrul · () Romanian

Translated from Romanian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Global alcohol consumption is projected to decline by 2031 as consumers in traditional markets like Europe, North America, and China reduce spending.
  • IWSR forecasts a 1% drop in total volumes by 2035 compared to 2025 levels, despite population growth, with per capita consumption expected to decrease significantly.
  • While major markets like China, the U.S., Germany, the UK, and Japan anticipate notable declines, emerging markets such as India, Mexico, Vietnam, and Colombia are expected to see increased consumption, with ready-to-drink beverages showing strong growth.

Global alcohol consumption is set to decrease over the next five years, with traditional markets like Europe, North America, and China seeing reduced spending by consumers, according to a new 10-year forecast.

IWSR, a global market research firm for the alcohol industry, predicts that the volume of global alcohol consumption will decline by 2031. The firm's first 10-year forecast, covering 160 markets, indicates that consumption of spirits, beer, and wine fell by 2% between 2024 and 2025 and is expected to continue this downward trend beyond 2031. By 2035, total volumes are projected to remain 1% below 2025 levels, even with a 9% increase in the legal drinking-age population worldwide.

Per capita consumption of pure alcohol is estimated to decrease by about half a liter annually over the decade. This decline is expected to be particularly pronounced in some of the world's largest alcohol markets. China and the United States are forecast to see consumption volumes drop by nearly one-fifth by 2035. Germany is projected to experience a 14% decrease, while the United Kingdom could see a 13% reduction, and Japan a 15% decline.

In 2035, the market landscape will be entirely different from what we see today.

โ€” Marten LodewijksPresident and CEO of IWSR, commenting on the future market outlook.

In contrast, several emerging markets are anticipated to experience robust growth. India is poised to become a significant driver of alcohol demand, following China. Between 2025 and 2035, annual servings consumed are expected to rise by 13% in Mexico, 15% in Vietnam, 26% in Colombia, and 38% in India.

The beverage categories also show varied outlooks. Global wine consumption is predicted to fall by 14% from 2025 to 2035, spirits by 2%, and beer by approximately 1%. However, ready-to-drink (RTD) beverages, such as pre-mixed cocktails, are expected to grow by 17% globally. "Global RTD consumption reached 1 billion 9-liter cases for the first time in 2025 and there are no signs that this trend is slowing down anytime soon," stated Luke Tegner, head of consultancy at IWSR.

Global RTD consumption reached 1 billion 9-liter cases for the first time in 2025 and there are no signs that this trend is slowing down anytime soon.

โ€” Luke TegnerHead of consultancy at IWSR, discussing the growth of ready-to-drink beverages.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Adevฤƒrul in Romanian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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