Number of breweries in EU rises to over 10,000

Belgium | Thanks to the rise of craft beer, there were more than 10,000 breweries operating in the European Union in 2018, up from 4,800 in 2012, according to figures released by the Brewers of Europe in December 2019.

France alone has increased the number of breweries in the country by 45 percent between 2017 and 2018, from 1,100 to 1,600.

If we were to include the non-EU countries of Norway, Switzerland and Turkey, the total brewery count would hit 11,300.

Incidentally, beer production volumes have also gone up, surpassing the 400 million hl mark in the EU for the first time in a decade.

Overall decline in alcohol

Beer consumption rose in every single country in 2018, with consumers able to choose from a more varied, more specialised range of beers. Growth in beer consumption has coincided with a decline both in overall alcohol volumes and in harmful drinking in Europe, the Brewers of Europe say.

In the 2019 edition of the Brewers of Europe’s report, many national narratives are also evident. Poland is now the second largest beer producer behind Germany, swapping places with the United Kingdom.

Exports have once again increased, with Belgium remaining the largest beer exporter within the EU, just ahead of Germany, whilst the Netherlands continues to export around 40 percent of its beer production to other parts of the world.