Beer consumption in Czechia fell to a historic low in 2025, as changing consumer habits, weaker exports, and declining pub sales put pressure on the country’s brewing sector. According to the Czech Brewers and Maltsters Association, average consumption dropped by 3.2% to 121 liters per person.
Czech breweries produced 19.96 million hectoliters of beer in 2025, down 4.3% from 2024. That was 894,000 hectoliters less than in the previous year and 1.6 million hectoliters below the pre-pandemic level of 2019.
Tomáš Slunečko, executive director of the association, said that compared with 2019, 320 million fewer half-liters of Czech beer were consumed in Czechia and abroad. Only 2021, which was heavily affected by the pandemic, was weaker in the past decade.
Exports also declined by 8.2% after reaching a record level in 2024. Export markets accounted for more than a quarter of Czech breweries’ total output. Slunečko linked the decline partly to falling beer consumption in key neighboring markets such as Germany and Slovakia.
The shift is particularly visible in pubs and restaurants. Only 28% of domestic beer consumption took place in on-trade venues in 2025, one percentage point less than a year earlier. The rest was consumed through retail channels, mainly at home.
The association warned that this trend threatens pubs and restaurants, especially in villages and smaller towns, where they often serve as important social meeting places. Rising operating costs and fewer guests are forcing some businesses to reduce opening hours or close altogether.
Non-alcoholic beer remained the only growing category. Production rose by 4% to 1.68 million hectoliters, including flavored variants. Domestic consumption of non-alcoholic beer has more than doubled over the past decade.
Even considering the downturn to 121 liters per capita in 2025, Czechia remains the country with the highest beer consumption per capita for the 32nd consecutive year since 1993. Including non-alcoholic beer, total per capita consumption reached 148.8 liters in 2024, according to Kirin Holdings.
Czech consumers are also moving toward stronger lager beers. Beers with an original gravity of 11 to 12 degrees Plato accounted for 59.2% of consumption, while lower-gravity draft beers represented 35.5%. Beer specialties rose slightly to 5.4%.
Industry representatives are now calling for political support. Slunečko said a lower VAT rate on draught beer could help stabilize pubs and restaurants. However, according to Radio Prague International, the Czech Finance Ministry said such a measure is currently not under discussion.
