Why are Germans giving up beer? The trend that keeps the industry awake at night

Every year, the German statistical agency publishes a specific note on the evolution of the consumption of beer with alcohol in the Bavarian country. Drinking beer is almost a national sport in Germany, which has also generated an important industry around it, and that is why what happens with consumption is closely followed. However, the data reveals that Germans drink less beer every year, a trend that has worsened with the covid crisis and that worries producers.

Beer sales in Germany reached a total of 8.5 billion liters in 2021, which represents a setback of 187.7 million liters or 2.2% with respect to the volume of beer marketed in 2020, as reported by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis).

In this way, beer sales in Germany celebrate their second consecutive year of decline, after the volume of beer sold in 2020 was 5.5% lower than in 2019.

The impact of covid

In this sense, Destatis has pointed out the adverse impact on sales derived from the closure of restaurants and the cancellation of large events, which contributed to reduce sales especially in the months of January (-27%) and February (-19.1 %).

Likewise, the German statistical office has specified that these figures do not include sales of non-alcoholic beers, malt beverages or imported beer from countries outside the European Union (EU).

Why do they drink less beer?

However, analyzing the graph provided by the statistical agency, it can be seen that this trend is not new. Germans have been reducing their beer consumption for years.

In the mid-1970s they drank an average of 150 liters of beer per year. By 1991, that number had already fallen to 141.9 liters per person, according to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, and by 2021 it had dropped to 101 liters, about two-thirds of what it was in the 1970s.

“For years, this number has been slowly declining,” he explains to the newspaper. The Local the expert Walter König, from the Bavarian Brewers Association. But how can the Germans be abandoning the concoction that is their pride and joy?

On the one hand, these figures do not take into account the consumption of non-alcoholic beer. This type of beer has grown exponentially in recent years with a greater range and types of beers that do not contain alcohol, which reduces the number of calories and the negative effects of beer.

On the other hand, there are the changes in people’s lives and the evolution of the economy and society. “One of the reasons is the increased mobility we have today and the strictest traffic rules”, Konig explained. “Before, people didn’t have to drive as much, they were closer to their work. We also have less work in agriculture or physical work. There is more mental work.”

König explains that because people have to drive to work and also now face stricter regulations against drinking, Germans don’t drink as many beers during the week.

Beer loses its good name

“In people’s minds, beer is unhealthy. Consumption of anything that seems unhealthy has decreased… There is more awareness about health, although with a false understanding: beer in moderation is healthy,” says this expert.

At the same time that beer consumption has decreased between 1991 and 2021, (bottled) water consumption almost doubled, from 79 liters per person to about 160 liters per person, according to the Ministry of Food. Wine consumption has remained almost the same at 20.5 liters per person.