Germans Bought Less Beer Last Year, Resuming A Long-Term Downward Trend
February 1, 2024 12:07PM CST
FILE - Women with glasses of beer pose for a photo on day one of the 188th 'Oktoberfest' beer festival in Munich, Germany, Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023. German beer sales dropped 4.5% last year, resuming a long-term downward trend after an uppick in 2022 following the end of COVID-19 restrictions, official figures showed Thursday. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader, File)
BERLIN (AP) — Official figures show that German beer sales dropped 4.5% last year, resuming a long-term downward trend.
The Federal Statistical Office said Thursday that German-based breweries and distributors sold about 8.4 billion liters (2.2 billion gallons) of beer last year.
In 2022, beer sales increased 2.7% thanks to a recovery in demand at home and in the EU following the end of COVID-19 restrictions.
But demand in both markets was lower again in 2023.
German brewers have been struggling with a long-term downward trend fueled by health concerns and other factors.
The statistics office said last year’s sales were 11.3% lower than in 2013 and 25.3% lower than in 1993.
