EU Beer Production Rises Slightly in 2024, Led by Germany

In 2024, beer production across the European Union reached 34.7 billion litres, with 32.7 billion litres containing at least 0.5% alcohol. This marks a 0.6% increase compared to the previous year. Notably, production of low-alcohol beer (≤0.5%) surged by 11.1%, totaling 2 billion litres.

• Germany remained the top producer, contributing 22.2% of the EU’s total output.
• Spain, Poland, Netherlands, and Belgium followed as major producers.
• The Netherlands led exports with 1.5 billion litres, despite a 12% drop.
• France was the largest importer, bringing in 0.8 billion litres. Eurostat notes that Dutch and Belgian export figures may be inflated due to the “Rotterdam effect,” where goods shipped through their ports are counted as extra-EU exports

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Beer production across the EU rose 0.6% last year