German Beer Consumption Hits All Time Low

Thu, 15 Jan 2009

The average consumption of beer per person in Germany has fallen to an all time low according to the brewers of the country’s national drink. At the end of 2008, the average German drank 109.5 litres a year, down by 2.2 litres on the previous year. The smoking ban in German pubs and restaurants is being cited as a major factor in the decline, whilst experts claim there has been a change in the drinking habits of younger Germans. The credit crunch has also been blamed for the slump, with consumer spending power shrinking.

Peter Hahn, head of the German brewers’ association, offered a downbeat forecast for the year ahead. He said, ‘The market has been significantly shrinking over the last few weeks. I am also pessimistic for the entire market for 2009. Germans are still drinking an average of 109.5 litres a year. But the figure represents an all time low in a country where beer, together with sausages, has been part of the national diet for centuries. The times when every German drank more than 150 litres of beer annually are definitely gone.’

Mr Hahn also predicted an increase in the number of mergers and acquisitions that will take place in the coming year, as the 1,300 German brewers look to survive the economic downturn.
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