Beer production across the European Union declined slightly in 2025, although output remained above the levels recorded five years earlier, according to the latest figures published by Eurostat.
EU countries produced approximately 34.4 billion litres of beer in 2025, representing a decline of 0.7% compared with 2024, but an increase of 2.2% compared with 2020.
The overwhelming majority of European beer production remains alcoholic beer. Around 32.3 billion litres of the beer produced in the EU contained more than 0.5% alcohol, while another 2.1 billion litres consisted of low-alcohol beer containing less than 0.5% alcohol or non-alcoholic beer.
The figures indicate that low- and non-alcoholic beer continues to increase its presence in the European market. In 2024, the EU produced around 2 billion litres of low- and non-alcoholic beer, compared with 1.8 billion litres in 2023.
Total EU beer production stood at 34.7 billion litres in 2024, meaning that last year’s decline was relatively modest.
Germany remained by far Europe’s largest beer producer in 2025, producing approximately 7.4 billion litres, equivalent to 21.6% of EU sold production.
Spain ranked second with 5.3 billion litres, or 15.5% of EU production, while Poland produced 3.5 billion litres, equivalent to 10.2%.
The Netherlands followed with approximately 2.4 billion litres, while France completed the five largest producers with 2.1 billion litres.
The figures show how concentrated European beer production remains. Germany, Spain and Poland alone accounted for almost half of the beer produced in the European Union during the year.
European brewers have nevertheless been operating in a changing market. Farsons itself noted in its latest annual report that alcoholic beverage markets across Europe continue to experience pressure on volumes, with beer, wine and spirits generally registering flat or declining consumption as consumer preferences change.
Health-conscious consumption, younger generations drinking alcohol less frequently and the growing market for low- and no-alcohol alternatives are among the trends reshaping the industry.
Maltese beer production is not included in Eurostat’s national figures
Malta does not feature in Eurostat’s ranking of European beer producers.
This is not because Malta produces no beer. Eurostat exempts Malta, Cyprus and Luxembourg from providing the PRODCOM production data because of the small size of their economies. Consequently, the European statistics cannot be used to establish Malta’s annual beer production.
Malta’s largest brewer, Simonds Farsons Cisk, also does not publish a separate figure showing exactly how many litres of beer it produces every year.
Its latest annual report, covering the financial year ending January 2026, does, however, provide detailed environmental figures for its combined beer and soft-drink production.
Farsons reported total water consumption of 257,990 cubic metres during FY2026 and a water-use ratio of 2.74 hectolitres of water for every hectolitre of beverages produced. These figures imply combined beer and soft-drink production of approximately 942,000 hectolitres, or around 94 million litres, during the financial year.
This figure should not be confused with Maltese beer production alone. Farsons’ published production measure combines beer with its substantial soft-drink operations, including Kinnie, Pepsi products and bottled water, and the company does not disclose how the approximately 94 million litres are divided between beer and non-alcoholic beverages.
Farsons describes its overall production volumes during the latest financial year as “broadly stable” compared with the previous year.
Its beer business nevertheless registered growth in several categories.
According to the company’s latest annual report, the Cisk portfolio delivered a strong performance across its different channels during 2025. Cisk 0.0 recorded double-digit growth, reflecting the same increasing demand for alcohol-free beer visible across Europe, while Cisk Strong also registered double-digit growth.
Farsons also reported positive sales growth for Carlsberg, which it has brewed under licence in Malta for more than four decades. Its other locally brewed brands include Cisk Lager, Cisk Excel, Blue Label, Hopleaf Pale Ale and a growing range of craft beers produced at its Red Mill microbrewery.
The Maltese brewer has also been expanding beyond the domestic market. Farsons said that more than half of its beer export volumes are now destined for growing markets outside its traditional European destinations, particularly South Asia and the Middle East.
Farsons’ beverage division generated a record €106.5 million in turnover during the financial year ending January 2026, an increase of 4.63% from the previous financial year, despite broader pressure on alcoholic beverage consumption in Europe.
Newsroom
Leave a Reply