Beer consumption in our country rose by 7.5 percent to 6.93 million hectoliters last year. This is what the annual report of sector organization Belgian Brewers teaches on Thursday.
After two difficult years, Belgian beer consumption approached pre-corona levels last year. In 2019, domestic sales amounted to 7.065 million hectoliters. “The difference of 100,000 hectoliters compared to 2019 is negligible in light of the structural decline over the past 30 years,” said the brewery umbrella organization in a press release. This points to an increase despite new challenges from the war in Ukraine, including high inflation and problems in the supply chain.
After a sharp fall in 2020, the recovery had already started in 2021 to 6.45 million hectoliters. Between 2002 and 2022, Belgian beer consumption has fallen by about 30 percent.
Strong increase in the hospitality industry
The increase in 2022 is due to sales in the hospitality industry. It was 42.4 percent higher compared to corona year 2021 to 2.83 million hectoliters. In retail, slightly less beer passed the checkout after a peak in 2021: – 8 percent to 4.11 million hectoliters. On the other hand, sales in supermarkets are above the level of 2019, while on-trade sales are still roughly 170,000 hectoliters lower than in that pre-corona year.
Exports are falling
Beer exports – accounting for 70.3 percent of production – fell for the third year in a row after peak year 2019. Now there is talk of -5.5 percent to 16.39 million hectoliters. European exports continued to rise to a new record of 13.45 million hectolitres, while exports outside the Union fell. The general decrease can be explained by the focus on local production, according to the brewers. There was a big drop, especially in the US. For example, the annual report states that beer giant AB InBev has also been brewing Stella Artois lager locally in the US since 2021. The company used the freed-up capacity for additional production of foreign beers in its portfolio.
430 breweries
At the end of last year, Belgium had 430 breweries – good for more than 1,600 different beers – compared to 408 a year earlier. There were 32 new breweries and ten closures. The breweries accounted for 6,866 direct jobs.
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