2024 saw beer sales in Germany hit a historic low, figures from the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) have revealed, while non-alcoholic beer is becoming more and more popular.

German beer consumption on the decline

People in Germany drank 6,8 billion litres of beer in 2024, no small feat, but still 2 percent less than in 2023, meaning the country consumed historically low amounts of beer last year.

The German Brewers’ Association has cited poor weather during the summer as one of the reasons. During June 2024, 13,5 percent less beer was drunk in Germany than in the same month in 2023. 

This is despite Germany hosting the Euros football championships between June and July, during which millions of fans flocked to the federal republic and bought bottle after bottle.

Rising popularity of non-alcoholic beer continues in Germany

While sales of alcoholic beer were down in 2024, the Brewers’ Association said that the preference for non-alcoholic beer continues to increase.

The association forecasts that soon, one in every 10 beers sold in Germany will be non-alcoholic.

"The times when non-alcoholic beverages were purely for drivers are long gone," a spokesperson from the association told the dpa.

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