The beer market worldwide – still on course for growth

Slow growth even in a less-than-easy macro-economic environment: the beer market worldwide held up well in the years of 2008 and 2009, though the growth rate showed a slight decline. Approximately 3 % growth even materialised in the crisis year of 2009. Or was it precisely because of the economic doom and gloom?

Output is forecast to total about 1,900 million hectolitres of beer brewed worldwide, as estimated by the market overviews about to be published for the year of 2009. The moderate growth involved is being driven by the top beer market, which is Asia: the highest increase in beer consumption during 2008 was achieved by China, with growth of around 7 %. China’s continuous growth is set to progress, at a rate of around 7 % and a volume increase of 20 million hectolitres per annum. Overall Asia, with a plus of around 5 %, contributed significantly to the solid advance of the global beer market. In the future, beer consumption will also be boosted by sales in Brazil and Russia. By 2013, a beer output of approximately 2,200 million hectolitres is being predicted.

Glass continues to be the leading form of packaging for beer. Breweries are still using the traditional glass bottle for 66 % of their output. Cans, too, are performing well: the proportion of cans in the packaging mix for beer was approximately 31.5 % in 2008.

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