Who Produces the Most Beer in the EU?

Key Takeaways

• Germany produced 83.93 million hectolitres of beer in 2024. That is 24.5% of all beer made in the EU.
• Germany’s output is more than double Spain’s. It is the EU’s second-largest producer at 41.30 million hectolitres.
• Germany ranks 6th in the world for beer output, down from 5th in 2023. Russia’s production rose 8.9% that year. The increase moved Russia ahead of Germany in the global rankings.
• Germany, Spain, and Poland together produce 46.6% of all beer made in the EU.
• Czechia ranks just 7th among EU producers at 20 million hectolitres. Czech residents drink more beer per person than in any other country in the world. Czechs drank 148.8 litres each in 2024.
• EU beer production fell 1.1% from 2023 to 2024. Rising costs and a shrinking hospitality sector are driving a broader slowdown across the industry.

Beer Production Across EU Countries

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The EU’s total output reached 342.83 million hectolitres in 2024. Three countries make up 46.6% of all the beer brewed in the European Union. Germany, Spain, and Poland together produced 159.83 million hectolitres in 2024.

Germany Brews More Than Double Spain’s Beer Output

Germany produced 83.93 million hectolitres of beer in 2024. That is 24.5% of everything brewed in the EU. Spain ranks second in the EU with 41.30 million hectolitres. Germany’s output is more than twice Spain’s.

Germany counted 1,459 active breweries in 2024. Its breweries serve a domestic market of around 83 million people. Germany also exported around 15 million hectolitres in 2024, reaching buyers across Europe and beyond. That domestic scale and export demand explain the gap.

Beer Sales in Germany Have Fallen in 2026 ->

Czechia Drinks the Most Beer in the World but Ranks Only 7th in EU Production

Czech residents drank 148.8 litres each in 2024. That was the highest in the world for the 32nd year running. Yet Czechia ranks only 7th in EU beer production. Czechia produced 20 million hectolitres of beer in 2024. The reason is scale. Czechia’s population was around 10.9 million as of January 2024. Ten million people can only drink so much, even at world-record rates.

EU Beer Production Fell for a Second Straight Year

EU beer production fell 1.1% from 2023 to 2024. Output dropped from 346.71 million hectolitres to 342.83 million hectolitres that year. This decline is tied to

• inflation
• rising production costs
• shrinking hospitality sector

Beer consumed in pubs, bars, and restaurants once made up a third of everything drunk in Europe. That share has fallen to about a quarter.

Beer production across the EU tracks population size and industrial capacity, not drinking culture. The countries with the largest populations and economies dominate the volume rankings. Smaller countries with strong beer traditions can still rank near the bottom of this table.