World beer production up 0.5 percent in 2019
Germany | For the first time in five years, global beer production has risen slightly by 0.5 percent or 9 million hl to reach 1,913 million hl, according to estimates by the Barth Report.
The full 2019/2020 Barth Report will be published in October.
In a preliminary statement, Barth says that in 2019 China remained the largest beer producing country, ahead of the US, Brazil, Mexico and Germany. The slight increase in production hides different developments in individual countries and continents, however.
Compared with 2018, beer output in Europe remained almost unchanged, although Spain managed to hike production by 1.2 million hl, while Germany and Poland registered declines (-2 million hl and -1.1 million hl, respectively).
The growth in the Americas was again largely driven by Mexico (+4.4 million hl) and Brazil (+3.4 million hl). In contrast, the US and Venezuela recorded a drop of 3.6 million hl and 1.6 million hl, respectively.
China posted another 4.7 million hl decline while Japan brewed 1.1 million hl less beer over 2018. Nevertheless, Asia saw a production increase of 6.8 million hl, mainly due to the good results in Cambodia (+5 million hl), Vietnam (+3 million hl) and Thailand (+2.4 million hl).
In Africa, the good result in South Africa with a plus of 1.2 million hl ensured a stable result.
| 2018 | 2019 | 2019 +/- % rel. | |
| European Union | 402,291 | 401,846 | -0.1% |
| Rest of Europe | 129,801 | 129,021 | -0.6% |
| Europe total | 532,092 | 530,867 | -0.2% |
| North America | 355,937 | 356,684 | 0.2% |
| Central America/ Caribbean | 22,887 | 22,823 | -0.3% |
| South America | 226,189 | 229,758 | 1.6% |
| Americas total | 605,013 | 609,265 | 0.7% |
| Asia | 604,916 | 611,740 | 1.1% |
| Africa | 141,337 | 140,551 | -0.6% |
| Australia/Oceania | 20,553 | 20,577 | 0.1% |
| World total | 1,903,911 | 1,913,000 | 0.5% |
