World beer output in 2009 dropped
According to the Barth report, almost 93 percent of total beer output was accounted for by the world’s 40 biggest beer-producing countries. The five largest brewing groups, AB-InBev, SAB Miller, Heineken, Carlsberg and China Resource Brewery Ltd., controlled nearly 50 percent of the world beer market.
In 2009, only half of the world’s 170 beer producing countries saw a rise in beer output. Nearly all the western industrialized countries registered a decline. In Europe alone, output dropped by nearly 30 million hl to 555 million hl. The steepest falls in output brewers had to bear were in Russia, the UK and Poland.
In the Americas, only South America saw some growth in volumes, albeit a slight one, while North and Central America registered minor declines.
As had been the case in previous years, the true “winners” were Asian countries, where growth exceeded three percent. China alone increased its output by more than 13 million hl. There was further growth in Vietnam, India and the Philippines.
Africa also registered an increase of 3.6 million hl, to which Angola and Cameroon contributed 1.5 million and 1.1 million hl respectively.
While there is consensus among experts that volume trends seen in 2009 will continue in 2010, opinions are divided as to whether the consolidation process in the brewing industry is completed. Fact is that in 15 out of 20 leading beer producing nations, markets are consolidated. Germany is an exception as the largest brewing group – Radeberger – has a market share of no more than 13 percent.
