December 24, 2014

Kirin Beer University Report
Global Beer Consumption by Country in 2013

Global Beer Consumption Reached a Record High in 2013, marking 28 Consecutive Years of Growth. Asia and Africa's Strong Consumption Acted as the Driving Force.

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 the customers of the pleasure of beer and its background. The various faculties and facilities—open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year—show how to enjoy delicious beer and offer an interesting stock of knowledge about beer.

The report for 2013 publishes the details of global beer consumption in 171 major countries and regions. The report is based on the findings obtained from questionnaires sent to various brewers’ associations around the world, as well as the latest industry statistics available overseas. Kirin has been tracking the data of the global beer consumption since 1975.

Main Topics

Global beer consumption reached 188.81 million kiloliters in 2013, up 0.5% from the previous year, marking its 28th consecutive year of growth. If we were to compare the volume of the Tokyo Dome Stadium to a beer mug, this would be equivalent to about 152 jugs.

China remained the largest beer-consuming country in the world for the 11th consecutive year, with an annual increase of 4.8% in 2013. South Korea marked a 15.2% increase in beer consumption, recording a double-digit growth for the first time in 21 years. India maintained a double-digit growth for two years in a row with an annual increase of 14.1%. Vietnam made it to the top-10 for the first time, consuming 7.3% more beer than the previous year.

Asia consumed 4.8% more beer in 2013 compared to 2012, and holds a 34.8% share of the global beer market. Asia remained the world’s largest beer-consuming region for the 6th consecutive year. Asia and Africa were the driving force for the overall beer consumption in 2013. The annual consumption in South America dropped 0.5% from the previous year, marking a decrease for the first time in ten years.

In 2013, the global beer consumption reached 188.81 million kiloliters, which is equivalent to 298.3 billion bottles (633-ml). In comparison with 2012, there was an increase of about 1.0 million kiloliters (equivalent to 1.6 billion bottles (633-ml)), an annual increase of 0.5%, marking 28 consecutive years of growth. The total volume of the global beer consumption is equivalent to about 152 Tokyo Domes, if the stadium was a beer mug with a capacity of about 1.24 million kiloliters, and there was an increase of about one beer mug from the previous year.

1. Global Beer Consumption by Country in 2013 (Table 1)

China remained the largest beer-consuming country in the world for the 11th consecutive year since 2003. Vietnam made it to the top-10 for the first time, consuming 7.3% more beer than the previous year. Among the world’s 25 largest beer-consuming countries, South Korea and India achieved double-digit growth rates of 15.2% and 14.1%, respectively. Japan was ranked seventh for the seventh consecutive year, consuming 1.0% less beer than 2012.

2. Global Beer Consumption by Region in 2013 (Table 2)

Beer consumption in Asia recorded an increase of 4.8% from the previous year. South Korea, India, and Vietnam contributed to Asia’s increase, with an annual growth rate of 15.2%, 14.1%, and 7.3%, respectively. Africa was also the driving force for the overall beer consumption, marking an increase of 4.1% from the previous year. The annual consumption in South America dropped 0.5%, marking a decrease for the first time in ten years. In Europe, the annual consumption fell 3.5% from the previous year due to the drawing effects from the decrease among the high ranking European countries such as Russia (fourth in rank) and Ukraine (13^th in rank), which fell 8.0% and 8.2%, respectively.

3. Per-capita Beer Consumption by Country in 2013 (Table 3)

Czech Republic led all other nations in per-capita beer consumption for the 21st consecutive year. Among the top 35 countries, five saw an increase in consumption from 2012 to 2013. Japan—which consumed 43.1 liters of beer on a per-capita basis, the equivalent of 68 bottles (633-ml), in 2013 (equal to the previous year)—ranked second in Asia after South Korea, which consumed 46.2 liters.

The Kirin Group is committed to creating a new beverage culture side by side with our consumers, and fostering well-being and prosperity among people and societies.

• Note: Consumption volume in Japan is a combination of beer, happo-shu (low-malt beer), and new genre (non-malt beer).
  Among the countries whose figures were revised for this year’s report, the revised figures are used to calculate the year-on-year changes.
  * The volume of global consumption for the previous year has been updated (revised from 187.37 million kiloliters to 187.82 million kiloliters).

• Source: Questionnaires sent by Kirin Brewery Company, Limited to the brewers’ associations in major countries.
  The Barth Report Hops 2012/2013 (BARTH−HAAS GROUP)
  2014 Beer Market Insights Reports (Canadean Ltd.)
  * As of 2013, there has been a change in the industry statistics data source from the ERC Group to Canadean Ltd.
  Therefore, some of the data may not equally correspond with the past reports.

Table 1: Global Beer Consumption by Country in 2013

Comments

• Despite a weak economy, the global beer consumption in 2013 increased 0.5% to 188.81 million kiloliters from the previous year, marking the 28th consecutive annual increase.
• China remained the largest beer-consuming country in the world for 11 consecutive years since 2003. A 4.8% increase in the annual beer consumption was seen due to the increase in living standards from the development of the economy. Furthermore, there was a growth in interest towards alcohol among young adults, and beer consumer demographics expanded mainly at bars and clubs in the urban areas. In addition, with an increase in sales of alcohol on the Internet, an increase in the number of people who enjoy alcohol at home ensued.
• While beer consumption decreased by 1.3% from the previous year in both the United States and United Kingdom, the percentage of craft beer consumption has been on the rise, especially among young adults. According to a survey by Canadean Ltd., craft beer consumption in 2013 has been strong in the United States with an increase of 14% from the previous year.
• In Brazil, the annual beer consumption dropped 2.0%, resulting from bad weather in the winter and tax increases.
• Russia consumed 8.0% less beer compared to 2012 due to a deteriorating economy and tax increases.
• 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, and an increase in beer consumption among young adults. The country recorded a 14.1% annual increase in beer consumption in 2013.
• Japan remained in seventh for the annual beer consumption for seven years in a row. It consumed 1.0% less beer than in 2012, affected by a shift in the consumer palate and bad weather in the summer when beer consumption is at its peak.

Table 2: Global Beer Consumption by Region in 2013

Comments

• Annual beer consumption in Asia was the highest in the world for the sixth consecutive year, increasing 4.8% in 2013 from the previous year, along with an increase in the global market share to 34.8% from 33.4%.
• Continuing from the previous year, South Korea, India, and Vietnam were the primary force for the increase in beer consumption in Asia for 2013, with an annual growth rate of 15.2%, 14.1%, and 7.3%, respectively.
• South America, ranking third, recorded a slight decrease of 0.5% from the previous year. While high ranking countries such as Brazil and Mexico marked decreases of 2.0% and 1.9%, respectively, Venezuela’s increase of 3.2% kept the decrease rate minimal.
• While in 2012, Oceania was the only region that experienced a year-on-year decrease in beer consumption, more regions saw a decline in 2013 including Europe, South America, North America, and the Middle East with annual decreases of 3.5%, 0.5%, 1.4%, and 7.4%, respectively.

Table 3: Per-capita Beer Consumption by Country in 2013

Comments

• Czech Republic led all other nations in per-capita beer consumption for the 21st consecutive year. In comparison to the previous year, however, per-capita beer consumption in the country saw a decrease of 2.3 bottles (633-ml).
• Among the top 35 countries ranked by per-capita beer consumption, five increased in consumption from 2012 to 2013.