Overview
- Russia’s beer output rose nine percent to 9.1 billion liters in 2024, dethroning Germany’s 8.4 billion and ending its run as Europe’s largest brewer since 2013.
- Germany maintained the world’s largest hop harvest with 46,536 tonnes but saw its number of hop farmers dip below 1,000 for the first time on record.
- Overall global beer production edged down to 187.5 billion liters last year while per-capita consumption continued to decline in Western markets.
- Russian growth was driven by reduced imports and state support under sanctions; Germany’s fragmented brewery sector now faces rising costs and weakening domestic demand.
- Germany retains a nearly four billion liter output lead over seventh-ranked Japan, insulating it from an immediate further drop in the global ranking.