January 8, 2014
Kirin Beer University Report
Global Beer Consumption by Country in 2012
Global Beer Consumption Marks a Record High for the 27th Consecutive Year,Supported by Continued Growth in Asia and Latin America
Kirin Brewery Company, Limited (President and CEO: Yoshinori Isozaki) operates the Kirin Beer University, a virtual university on the Internet. It was established in July 2001 to inform our customers of the pleasure provided by beer and its background. You can visit various faculties and facilities—open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year—which show you how to enjoy drinking delicious beer and offer an interesting stock of knowledge about beer.
In this report, we publish details of global beer consumption in major countries and by region for 2012. This report is based on findings obtained from questionnaires sent to brewers’ associations around the world, as well as the latest industry statistics available overseas. Kirin has been tracking global beer consumption since 1975.
- Summary of Report
Global beer consumption amounted to 187.37 million kiloliters in 2012 (up 1.0% from the previous year), marking its 27th consecutive year of growth. If we were to compare the volume of the Tokyo Dome Stadium to a super-huge jug, this would be equivalent to about 151 jugs.- China remained the largest beer-consuming country in the world for the 10th consecutive year, despite consuming 1.2% less beer in 2012 than in 2011. Among the world’s 25 largest beer-consuming countries, Thailand and India achieved the highest annual growth rates of 13.2% and 12.4%, respectively, for beer consumption.
- Asia has maintained the momentum of its beer consumption growth for more than 20 years, consuming 0.5% more beer in 2012 than in 2011, and took a 33.2% share of the global beer market in 2012. Latin America and Africa also drove global beer consumption in 2012 with annual growth rates of 2.5% and 5.9%, respectively. Asia and Latin America together accounted for approximately 50.0% of the global market due to growth in emerging countries. Annual consumption in Europe dropped 0.5%, marking a decrease for the first time in two years.
In 2012, global beer consumption amounted to 187.37 million kiloliters, which is equivalent to 296.0 billion 633-milliliter bottles. This was an increase of 1.83 million kiloliters (equivalent to 2.9 billion 633-ml bottles), or 1.0%, from 2011, marking the 27th consecutive annual increase. If we were to compare the volume of Tokyo Dome Stadium to a super-huge jug, this would be equivalent to about 151 jugs (the volume of one jug of the size of Tokyo Dome is around 1.24 million kiloliters).
- 1. Global Beer Consumption by Country in 2012 (Table 1)
China remained the largest beer-consuming country in the world for the 10th consecutive year since 2003. The top 10 countries in the ranking of the world’s beer-consuming countries in 2012 remained the same as in 2011. Japan, where annual beer consumption decreased 1.0% from 2011 to 2012, remained in seventh place in the global ranking. Among the world’s 25 largest beer-consuming countries, India and Thailand achieved double-digit annual growth—12.4% and 13.2%, respectively.
- 2. Global Beer Consumption by Region in 2012 (Table 2)
Beer consumption in Asia recorded a slight increase of 0.5% from the previous year. Thailand, India, and Vietnam drove beer consumption with annual growth rates of 13.2%, 12.4%, and 8.9%, respectively, while China marked a decrease of 1.2% from the previous year.
Increased beer consumption in Latin America was driven by strong demand in Brazil, where 1.5% more beer was consumed in 2012 than in 2011. In Africa, the increase in beer consumption came primarily from South Africa, which recorded an annual growth rate of 1.4%.
Annual consumption in Europe decreased 0.5% from the previous year. Among European countries that made the top 25 list of the world’s largest beer-consuming countries, Poland, ranked ninth, drove beer consumption with a 5.3% increase from the previous year, while higher ranking countries such as Germany, ranked fifth, and the United Kingdom, ranked eighth, marked decreases of 1.6% and 3.7%, respectively.
- 3. Per-capita Beer Consumption by Country in 2012 (Table 3)
The Czech Republic led all other nations in per-capita beer consumption for the 20th consecutive year. Among the top 35 countries ranked by per-capita beer consumption, 18 saw an increase in consumption from 2011 to 2012. Japan—which consumed 43.5 liters, or the equivalent of 68.7 633-milliliter bottles, of beer on a per-capita basis in 2012, more than any other country in Asia—saw a per-capita decline equivalent to 0.6 bottles compared to the previous year, and was ranked in 40th place.
- Note: Consumption volume in Japan is a combination of beer, low-malt beer, and no-malt beer.
- Note: Numbers for 2011 reflect the latest available data and may not be consistent with those published in the report for 2011.
* The volume of global consumption for the previous year has also been updated to the latest figures (changed from 188.78 million kiloliters to 185.54 million kiloliters). - Source: Questionnaire surveys Kirin Brewery Company, Limited conducted with brewers’
associations in major countries; The World Beer Market: The 2012 Survey published by the ERC Group; and The Barth Report Hops 2011/2012 published by the BARTH-HAAS Group
Table 1: Global Beer Consumption by Country in 2012
[Comments]
Despite a weak economy, beer consumption increased 1.0% to 187.37 million kiloliters globally in 2012 compared to 2011, marking the 27th consecutive annual increase.- Driven by population growth and higher living standards resulting from a booming economy, China remained the largest beer-consuming country in the world for the 10th consecutive year since 2003, despite marking a 1.2% annual decrease in beer consumption in 2012.
- In Brazil, annual beer consumption rose 1.5%, resulting from a continued increase in per-capita income, which reflects robust economic growth, as well as population growth.
- While per-capita beer consumption remained small in India, the total volume of beer consumed has been increasing over the past few years, supported by population growth, economic growth, an increase in the number of retailers selling beer, an expanding distribution network around the country, and foreign beer companies starting beer production in India. The country recorded a 12.4% annual increase in beer consumption in 2012.
- Japan maintained its global ranking in annual beer consumption in 2012. It consumed 1.0% less beer than in 2011, affected by diversified consumer tastes for beverages.
Table 2: Global Beer Consumption by Region in 2012
- Note: Consumption volume in Japan is a combination of beer, low-malt beer, and no-malt beer.
[Comments]
- Annual beer consumption in Asia has maintained its growth momentum for more than 20 years, and increased 0.5% in 2012 from the year before, despite a decline in the share of the global market to 33.2%. While beer consumption in Europe decreased 0.5% from 2011 to 2012, consumption in North America, Latin America, and Africa increased 1.3%, 2.5%, and 5.9%, respectively. Global beer consumption was driven by strong demand in emerging countries.
- The growth of beer consumption in Asia continued to be driven primarily by Thailand, India, and Vietnam where annual beer consumption increased 13.2%, 12.4%, and 8.9%, respectively.
- Beer consumption in Latin America in 2012 was up 2.5% from the previous year, primarily driven by Brazil, which recorded annual growth of 1.5%.
- Asia and Latin America accounted for half of global beer consumption, driven by growth in many of their developing countries.
