Beer production in the EU: rankings, trends and curiosities

Published on 05/09/2026 - 15:51 GMT+2 According to the latest data published by Eurostat (31 August 2026), EU member states produced 34.4 billion litres of beer in 2025. Five countries alone control more than 60% of total production. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT This figure confirms that beer remains one of the most important agri-food industries on the continent, though with an interesting twist: overall production of traditional beer is edging down slightly, while alcohol-free beer continues to grow. Ranking of the largest beer-producing countries (2025) Germany remains by far the EU's brewing powerhouse, while Spain holds on to second place and is still one of the few markets that are growing. According to the Socioeconomic Report on the Beer Sector in Spain 2025 (Cerveceros de España and the Ministry of Agriculture), Spanish production reached 41.5 million hectolitres — 0.5% more than in 2024 and 5.1% above 2019 levels. It's worth noting that the figures in the Spanish sector report don't always match Eurostat's exactly, since Eurostat measures "production sold" (PRODCOM), whereas national trade associations use their own methodologies. Either way, Spain still ranks as the EU's second-largest producer. Eurostat methodological note: for the Netherlands and Poland, the ranking is based on "own-account production," since the figure for total production sold isn't published, for reasons of statistical confidentiality. Key figures for 2025 Total EU production: 34.4 billion litres produced in the European Union. Change compared with 2024: -0.7% (a slight decline), to 32.7 billion litres. Change compared with 2020: +2.2% (production is now at or above pre-pandemic levels). Beer with alcohol (more than 0.5%): 32.3 billion litres. Alcohol-free or low-alcohol beer (below 0.5%): 2.1 billion litres. In other words, alcohol-free beer now accounts for just over 6% of everything brewed in the EU — a share that has been rising steadily in recent years. Trends in recent years The same story has played out over the last four or five years: traditional beer output is flat or edging down slightly, while the alcohol-free segment is the only one growing steadily, year after year. On the trade front, the recent trend is less encouraging: European beer exports fell in 2025 to their lowest level since 2014, reflecting weaker international demand. In 2024, the EU's largest exporter was the Netherlands (1.5 billion litres, though down 12% on 2023), followed by Germany and Belgium (1.4 billion litres each), Czechia (600 million) and Ireland (500 million). Beer with or without alcohol: who brews and who drinks the most "0.0"? This is where one of the most striking findings emerges: the country that produces the most alcohol-free beer isn't the same one that drinks the most of it. The biggest producer: Germany also leads the EU in alcohol-free beer production — a segment that has exploded there over the past decade, with German alcohol-free beer output nearly doubling in ten years. The biggest consumer: Spain is, by some distance, the country that drinks the most alcohol-free beer in Europe. According to the 2025 Spanish sector report, one in every four alcohol-free beers consumed in the entire EU is drunk in Spain. In 2025, sales of alcohol-free beer in Spain rose 4.6% year-on-year, to 3.3 million hectolitres (330 million litres) — a record that now represents 14% of all beer consumed in the country. Notably, 90% of those who drink alcohol-free beer are also regular drinkers of regular beer, suggesting they aren't replacing beer with alcohol but complementing it. Statistical curiosities from Eurostat's data The country that drinks the most beer per capita in Europe is not Germany. According to per-capita consumption rankings, Czechia tops the list with an average of around 190 litres per person per year, far ahead of the rest. It's followed by Austria, Poland (around 99.6 litres), Ireland and Lithuania. Spain usually ranks around sixth, with about 95 litres per person per year. Spain stands out for bucking the trend. While most European markets are cutting back on alcoholic beer consumption, Spain is one of the few countries that managed to increase its total output in 2025, buoyed by its strong ties to the hospitality sector and a social, moderate drinking culture. The "0.0" segment has grown every year for at least the last five years, driven by greater awareness of the risks of alcohol and a search for "healthier" alternatives that now even compete with kombucha or premium soft drinks. In France beer consumption has now surpassed wine for the first time in history. The five largest producers account for 60% of the EU's beer, but beneath them sits a "second division" of important markets — such as Belgium, Czechia and Ireland — whose cultural weight in beer culture far outstrips their production volumes.