Germans Have Started Drinking Record Low Beer

Beer sales in Germany have surprisingly dropped this year! No, this is not a joke. In the first five months of 2025, beer sales volume decreased by 6.8%, marking the largest decline since the reunification of the country. These figures were reported by the portal «Glavcom» based on data from the Spiegel publication.

The brewing industry has suffered a loss of 2.3 million hectoliters of beer compared to last year, although it is worth noting that non-alcoholic beer sales are still growing.

Rainer Emig, the sales executive of the company, claims that the industry will not be able to recover lost positions even this year, when more beer was sold during the pandemic.

Holger Eichele, the managing director of the German Brewers' Association, emphasized the high costs in the industry and weak consumer sentiment, which negatively affects gastronomy and breweries. He also noted that the ongoing trend of decreasing beer sales continues in the country.

Non-Alcoholic Beer on the Rise

However, non-alcoholic beer has become a real lifesaver, increasing in sales by 9%. Nevertheless, according to the CEO of Veltins, Volker Kuhl, these products cannot fully compensate for the losses from alcoholic beer, covering only a third of the total losses.

The beer industry in Germany is facing challenges due to consumer sentiment and costs. Non-alcoholic beer, although growing in sales, cannot fully save the industry from losses from alcoholic beer.