Overview

• Alcohol-beer sales fell 6.8% in January–May 2025, a loss of about 2.3 million hectoliters and the largest midyear decline since 1990.
• Half-liter beer cans rose by 0.4% to 2.2 million hectoliters, giving cans an 11.1% share of retail volume as younger drinkers embrace the format.
• The traditional 20-bottle half-liter returnable glass crate retained nearly 50% market share with almost ten million hectoliters sold.
• The 24-bottle 0.33 L returnable glass crate also grew by 0.4% to 1.7 million hectoliters, accounting for an 8.3% share.
• High energy, raw-material and tariff costs are squeezing smaller breweries, prompting packaging innovations, price adjustments and consolidation concerns.