Beverage industry Beer sales in Germany in 2024 "as weak as an empty bottle"
German breweries did not sell as much beer as hoped in 2024 either: "The year was as weak as an empty bottle", according to Holger Eichele, Managing Director of the German Brewers' Association.
31.12.2024, 08:53
SDA
The very wet and unstable weather often put a spanner in the works for publicans and breweries. During the European Football Championship in particular, many public viewing events, beer garden visits and garden parties fell through. "Two more games for the German team would certainly have been good for beer sales," said Eichele.
The German brewing industry is currently down one percent compared to the weak previous year of 2023. In 2023, breweries sold a total of around nine billion liters of beer and non-alcoholic variants. The association expects a mixed result on a par with the previous year.
The brewing industry is "unfortunately still a long way from pre-corona levels". Reasons for this include the poor consumer climate and the ageing of society.
Non-alcoholic beer remains a success story. No other segment has seen such strong growth in the last ten years. Since 2007, the production of non-alcoholic beers in Germany has more than doubled to 665 million liters in 2023. In 2024, non-alcoholic beers and non-alcoholic mixed beer beverages achieved a market share of nine percent.
Traditional breweries have now developed into modern beverage companies with a growing portfolio. They also offer soft drinks, mineral water, spritzers and energy drinks. According to Eichele, the brewing industry's outlook for 2025 is "cautiously optimistic".
