Barth Report: Global beer production down 1.5 percent in 2016

Worldwide beer production declined 30 million hl in 2015, the hop merchant Barth estimates in its latest report. It was as if Australia and The Philippines had suddenly run dry.

This is the second year of global volumes declining. But in 2015 the drop was more pronounced, says Barth.

Sluggish economies in China, Brazil and Russia are partly responsible for this decline.

The biggest losers were China (-25 million hl in 2015), followed by the Ukraine (-4.7 million hl), Russia (-4.0 million hl), Mexico (-3.5 million hl), Brazil (-2.8 million hl), Japan (-2.7 million hl), USA (-2.6 million hl) and Venezuela (-2.5 million hl).

Although several countries posted production increases like Vietnam (+7.8 million hl), Thailand (+1.4 million hl), Cambodia and Ethiopia (both added 1.2 million hl each), global beer production declined to 1,900 million hl.