In Germany, the number of breweries is declining amid a drop in beer consumption
Kyiv • UNN
In 2025, 1,415 breweries operated in Germany, which is 9% fewer than in 2019. Beer consumption fell by 15.7% over six years, especially among young people.
In 2025, 1,415 breweries operated in Germany — 9% fewer than in 2019, according to the Federal Statistical Office in Wiesbaden. Beer producers are facing a sustained decline in demand for their products. This is reported by DW, writes UNN.
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The number of breweries in Germany is declining. In 2019, there were 1,552 breweries in the country — the highest figure in three decades. By 2025, their number had decreased to 1,415, meaning a drop of almost 9%, the Federal Statistical Office in Wiesbaden reported on Tuesday, August 4, ahead of International Beer Day, which is celebrated on August 7.
Declining demand for beer, especially among young people
In the last year alone, the number of German breweries decreased by 53, with the decline continuing for the third consecutive year. "This trend is likely due to declining beer sales volumes," the statistical office noted.
In 2025, German beer producers sold about 7.8 billion liters of product, which is 6% less than the previous year and 15.7% less than in 2019.
"The German brewing industry is going through an economically difficult period," said Holger Eichele, head of the German Brewers' Union.
According to him, brewers are facing not so much a short-term drop in demand as structural changes. Enterprises are negatively affected by persistently low consumer sentiment caused by economic and political uncertainty, as well as demographic trends.
"Breweries are noticing that young people on average consume less alcohol than previous generations," Eichele explained.
Although demand for non-alcoholic beer is growing, it cannot compensate for the decline in sales of traditional beer.
More than a third of German breweries are located in Bavaria
Among Germany's 16 federal states, the most breweries in 2025 are located in Bavaria — 588. Next are Baden-Württemberg (190) and North Rhine-Westphalia (131).
More than half of German breweries are small enterprises producing no more than 100,000 liters of product per year.
Eight corporations belong to the category of large brewing companies with an annual production volume of at least 200 million liters of beer.