by carolina cardoso & Damaso Jaivenois
It’s published
•update
Beer is more than just a European drink. It is a cultural symbol and an economic driver.
According to Eurostat, European Union countries produced 32.7 billion litres of beer in 2024. This is a slight increase of 0.6% compared to the previous year.
The biggest growth occurred in the low or no alcohol beer sector, brewing 2 billion litres in 2024, increasing by 11.1%.
Germany is the leading producer of beer, with 7.2 billion liters, about a fifth of the EU’s total, and is also leading the way in alcohol-free brewing.
Spain is second in 4 billion liters, followed by Poland (3.4 billion liters), the Netherlands (2.2 billion liters), and Belgium (2.1 billion liters).
However, when it comes to exports, the Dutch will be number one, shipping 1.5 billion liters of beer in 2024. However, this is a 12% decline compared to 2023.
After the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium, they share the second position of exports (1.4 billion liters), followed by the Czech Republic (0.6 billion liters) and Ireland (0.5 billion liters).
Meanwhile, the largest beer importers are France, Italy, Spain, Germany and the Netherlands.
However, European drinking culture comes with health warnings. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), adults in Europe consume an average of 9.2 liters of pure alcohol each year, far above the world average.
Even drinking small amounts can cause over 200 illnesses, injuries and other health conditions. Therefore, the WHO warns that forms of alcohol consumption are risk-free.
