According to a report by the British weekly Economist on the 7th, the German Statistical Office recently said that Germany’s beer sales in the first half of this year were only about 3.9 billion liters. This is a 6.3% decrease from the previous year and the lowest since 1993 when the tally began.
Domestic sales fell 6.1% year-on-year to 3.2 billion liters during this period, while export sales fell 7.1%. Domestic sales fell to a level similar to the level of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The average beer consumption per capita, which was 112 liters in 2005, has also significantly decreased to below 90 liters. As a result, Germany’s per capita beer consumption also fell to eighth place in the world, according to the Economist.
It is analyzed that the decline in beer consumption among Germans has been compounded by aging, a social trend that takes care of their health, and a decrease in alcohol consumption among the younger generation. The Economist predicted that about 100 breweries have closed in Germany over the past five years, and that more businesses will close down in the future.
However, even in this situation, Germany is still known as the ‘country of beer’. According to market research firm Statista, Germany’s per capita beer consumption in 2023 was 88 liters, ranking third in the world after the Czech Republic (128 liters) and Austria (99 liters).
JENNIFER KIM
US ASIA JOURNAL
