Global beer production again flat in 2017
According to the latest annual Barth report, which was released on 30 July 2018, global beer output in 2017 rose by only 1.2 million hl and has stagnated at just below two billion hl since 2012.
However, over the same period, the demand for hop alpha-acids grew by 25 percent. This is due to craft beer volumes rising globally. Although craft beer only represents 2.5 percent of global beer production, it now requires about 20 to 25 percent of the world’s hops harvest.
According to Barth, China, the US, Brazil, Mexico and Germany are still the biggest beer producing countries. Yet, Brazil (+7 million hl) and Mexico (+5 million hl) were the only two countries among the top five to register volume growth. On the other hand, China (–10 million hl), the US (–6 million hl) and Germany (–2 million hl) registered declines.
Beer is produced in 174 countries. Combined the top three nations stood for 41 percent of global beer output, the top five for 51 percent and the top twenty for more than three quarters, says Barth. In 2017, 84 countries recorded a year-on-year increase in beer production whereas 36 countries saw a decline. There was no change in 54 countries.
