Global Beer Consumption by Country in 2024

TOKYO, Monday December 22, 2025 - Kirin Holdings Company, Limited (Kirin Holdings) published the Global Beer Consumption Report for 2024 which summarizes the details of global beer consumption in 170 major countries and regions. The report is based on findings obtained from questionnaires sent by Kirin Holdings to various brewers’ associations around the world, as well as the latest industry statistics available overseas. The data for global beer consumption has been tracked by Kirin Holdings since 1975.

Worldwide beer consumption in 2024 increased by approximately 890,000 kl (equivalent to approximately 1.4 billion 633ml bottles) from the previous year to approximately 194.12 million kl (up 0.5% from the previous year, or approximately 306.7 billion 633ml bottles equivalent).

1. Global Beer Consumption by Country in 2024 (Table 1)

・ China (down 3.7%) ranked first for the 22nd year since 2003.
・ Japan (down 2.7%) ranked 7th for 14 years until 2020, then fell to 8th in 2021, 10th in 2022, and 11th in both 2023 and 2024.
・ South Africa (up 4.5%) climbed from 10th in 2023 to 7th.
・ India’s consumption increased by 14.6% from the previous year, the highest growth among the top 25 countries.

2. Global Beer Consumption by Region in 2024 (Table 2)

・ Asia (down 1.4%) ranked first for the 17th consecutive year.

3. Per capita Beer Consumption by Country in 2024 (Table 3)

・ The Czech Republic consumed 148.8 liters of beer per capita, remaining the world’s top country in per capita beer consumption for the 32nd consecutive year since 1993.
・ The top five countries—The Czech Republic (1st), Lithuania (2nd), Austria (3rd), Ireland (4th), and Croatia (5th)—maintained their positions from the previous year, with no changes in ranking.
・ Germany, which ranked 8th the previous year, dropped to 10th, while Slovenia moved up from 10th to 8th.
・ Japan consumed 33.7 liters of beer—the equivalent of about 53.3 633ml bottles—on a per capita basis in 2024, down by the equivalent of 1.2 633ml bottles compared to the previous year.

Sources

Questionnaires sent by Kirin to the brewers’ associations in major countries.
BarthHaas-Report-2024-2025 (BARTH−HAAS GROUP)
Beer Market Data Extract 2025 (GlobalData Plc)
*Survey period: January-December 2024
*Figures may not match those in past reports perfectly due to a change in the survey data company after FY2013.
*Since 2020, beer consumption in Japan has been estimated by Jozo Sangyo Shimbunsha.
*Consumption volume in Japan is a combination of beer, happo-shu (malt liquor), and new genre (non-malt beer).

Note

Due to rounding, the figures may not necessarily add up perfectly.
Among the countries whose figures for the previous year were revised for this year’s report, the revised figures are used to calculate year-on-year changes.
*The volume of global consumption for the previous year has been updated (revised from 187.93 million kl to 193.23 million kl).

About Kirin Holdings

Kirin Holdings Company, Limited is an international company that operates in the Food & Beverages domain (Food & Beverages businesses), Pharmaceuticals domain (Pharmaceuticals businesses), and Health Science domain (Health Science business), both in Japan and across the globe.

Kirin Holdings can trace its roots to Japan Brewery which was established in 1885. Japan Brewery became Kirin Brewery in 1907. Since then, the company expanded its business with fermentation and biotechnology as its core technologies, and entered the pharmaceutical business in the 1980s, all of which continue to be global growth centers. In 2007, Kirin Holdings was established as a pure holding company and is currently focusing on boosting its Health Science domain.

Under the Kirin Group Vision 2027 (KV 2027), a long-term management plan launched in 2019, the Kirin Group aims to become “A global leader in CSV* creating value across our world of Food & Beverages to Pharmaceuticals.” Going forward, the Kirin Group will continue to leverage its strengths to create both social and economic value through its businesses, with the aim of achieving sustainable growth in corporate value.

*: Creating Shared Value. Combined added value for consumers as well as for society at large.

(Table 1) Global Beer Consumption by Country in 2024

Comments

・ Global beer consumption reached approximately 194.12 million kiloliters, up 0.5% year-on-year.
・ China (down 3.7%) ranked first for the 22nd consecutive year with no change over the previous year. Three of the top five countries, excluding China and the United States, posted year-on-year increases, leading the way in raising total consumption.
・ India’s consumption increased by 14.6% from the previous year, the highest growth among the top 25 countries.

(Table 2) Global Beer Consumption by Region in 2024

Note: Consumption volume in Japan is a combination of beer, happo-shu (malt liquor), and new genre (non-malt beer).

Comments

・ Annual beer consumption in Asia was the highest in the world for the 17th consecutive year, with a global market share of 32.6%.
・ First-place Asia (down 1.4%) recorded a decrease compared to the previous year, as declines in China (down 3.7%) and Japan (down 2.7%) outweighed the significant increase in India (up 14.6%).
・ Second-place Europe recorded an increase of 1.4% from the previous year, despite declines in countries such as Germany (down 2.2%) and Spain (down 1.3%). Growth in Russia (up 9.0%) and the United Kingdom (up 1.7%), among others, contributed to the overall increase.
・ Third-place Central and South America saw a 1.6% increase over the previous year driven by growth in Brazil (up 1.1%) and Mexico (up 5.4%).
・ Fourth-place North America decreased 0.5% from the previous year, led by a 0.5% decline in the United States

(Table 3) Per capita Beer Consumption by Country in 2024

Comments

・ The Czech Republic led all other nations in per capita beer consumption for the 32nd consecutive year.
・ The top five countries showed no changes in ranking.
・ Germany, which ranked 8th the previous year, dropped to 10th, while Slovenia moved up from 10th to 8th.