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Russia Enters Global Top Five, Pushing Germany to Sixth in Beer Production

A nine percent surge in Russian brewing driven by import cuts fueled its climb into the world’s top five producers.

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.