Breweries in trouble: German beer sales hit record low in 2025

Germany | Official sales figures are out and they are disastrous: According to the Federal Statistical Office, beer sales fell by 6.0 percent to around 78 million hl in 2025, a loss of 5 million hl beer. This is the steepest annual sales decline since 1993. Regardless of seasonal fluctuations, the figures confirm the long-term downward trend.

Domestic beer sales dropped by 5.8 percent to 64 million hl, which corresponds to 82.5 percent of total output. Beer exports, meanwhile, fell by 7.0 percent to just under 14 million hl. Of this, 7.9 million hl (-1.3 percent) went to EU countries and 5.5 million hl (-14.2 percent) to non-EU countries. The reason exports tumbled is that the Russian market for German beer has almost dried up since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Only 60,000 hl beer were exported to Russia in 2025, compared with over 1 million hl at its peak.

In 2025, brewers also recorded a 5.2 percent decline in sales of beer mixes. At 4 million hl, they accounted for 5.2 percent of total beer sales.

The data from the Federal Statistical Office, released on 2 February, include beers produced in Germany as well as beers imported from the European Union. However, non-alcoholic beers and malt beverages, as well as beer imported from countries outside the EU, are not included in the statistics.

On-premise woes

The German Brewers’ Association (DBB) describes the situation as very difficult, citing consumer restraint in Germany and elsewhere as one of the main reasons for the significant decline. The situation in the on-premise sector is a particular worry, says the CEO of the German Brewers’ Association, Holger Eichele. Many businesses have not recovered since the pandemic. The considerable market power of retailers also remains a problem for the industry.

Small wonder, many breweries lack much needed liquidity, and an increasing number are experiencing financial difficulties. Industry experts estimate that some 100 breweries have disappeared since 2019 – in an industry with a total of just under 1500 breweries.

The German Brewers' Association points to the opportunities offered by non-alcoholic beers. They are currently the fastest-growing segment in the German beer market. According to Nielsen IQ, non-alcoholic beers and beer mixes exceeded 10 percent in retail sales for the first time in 2025, while their market share in terms of volume is 9.5 percent. After pilsner with just under 50 percent and Helles/Lager with 12 percent of volume sales, non-alcoholic beers now rank third.

But even this buoyant segment cannot compensate the losses of full-strength beer. The Bavarian Brewers’ Association reminds us that its members sold almost 1.3 million hl less beer in 2025 over 2024, a decline of 4.5 percent. At the same time, sales of non-alcoholic beer rose by just 260,000 hl.

Both associations – the German and the Bavarian – expect 2026 to be another very challenging year for the entire beer, beverage and food industry.