Global beer production decreased by 0.7 percent down to 1.896 billion hectoliters in 2025, marking the second consecutive year of decline, according to the newly released BarthHaas Report 2025/26. This reflects a drop of 14.3 million hectoliters compared to the revised 2024 total of 1.910 billion hectoliters. Europe, Asia, the Americas, and Australia/Oceania all recorded lower volumes, while Africa stood out as the sole continent to achieve significant growth, boosting its output by 2.6 percent to reach 166.7 million hectoliters.
The downturn was largely driven by structural contractions in established traditional markets. The United States experienced the sharpest absolute volume decline globally, with output falling by 5.2 percent to 174.9 million hectoliters. Similarly, Germany recorded a 5.6 percent drop down to 79.2 million hectoliters, remaining Europe's second-largest producer behind Russia. China retained its status as the world's leading beer-producing country, representing 18.7 percent of the global volume with 353.6 million hectoliters, despite a year-over-year reduction of 2.3 million hectoliters. Meanwhile, production across Asia fell by a combined 7.4 million hectoliters, with notable decreases in Vietnam, Japan, and South Korea.
In contrast to the broader downward trend, several regional markets displayed robust expansion. Brazil increased its output by 3.7 million hectoliters to reach 151.1 million hectoliters, while Mexico added 2.9 million hectoliters to finish the year at 147.9 million hectoliters. Furthermore, India reported an impressive 7 percent growth, pushing its production up to 35.1 million hectoliters and climbing to the twelfth position among global producers.
Market concentration among the leading brewing conglomerates remains notably high. AB InBev preserved its leading status, producing 484.2 million hectoliters and capturing 25.5 percent of the global output. Heineken secured the second rank with 235.7 million hectoliters and a 12.4 percent market share. Together, the top two brewers accounted for nearly 38 percent of all beer brewed worldwide. China Resources Snow Breweries held the third position with 110.3 million hectoliters, followed by Carlsberg at 99 million hectoliters. Molson Coors ranked fifth, narrowly outperforming Tsingtao Brewery Group and the Asahi Group.
The industry’s structural shifts coincide with ongoing corporate portfolio adjustments. Diageo advanced its divestment strategy by transferring its stake in Guinness Ghana to Castel (inside.beer, 29.1.2025) and its shareholding in East African Breweries to the Asahi Group (inside.beer, 15.05.2026), while retaining ownership of the Guinness brand in those regions. Meanwhile, major brewers continue to lean into non-alcoholic and low-alcoholic segments to counterbalance softer demand for traditional alcoholic beer. It is important to note that the data published by BarthHaas includes a substantial upward revision of 34.7 million hectoliters for the 2024 global estimate, primarily due to updated statistics from China and Vietnam, highlighting the increasing difficulty in obtaining reliable national production figures.
