German beer sales have declined after a slight increase following the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions in 2022, the Federal Statistical Office has reported.
In the first half of this year, sales from German breweries and distributors dropped to 4.2 billion euros, which is 2.9% lower than the previous year.
Experts point out a long-term downward trend, despite Germany's alcohol consumption levels remaining among the highest in Europe compared to other countries.
The German Brewers Association (DBB) attributed the decline in consumption to the cool spring weather and cost-saving measures amidst high inflation.
According to Holger Eichele, the managing director of the association, this year will be "extremely challenging" for breweries, most of which are small to medium-sized, including family businesses. They have faced "explosive cost growth since the start of the pandemic" and can only offset a small portion of these expenses through tariff increases.
The data includes sales of German beer in the domestic market and European imports. Non-alcoholic beer and beverages imported from non-EU countries were not considered in the study.
German brewers' exports within the EU also decreased slightly, by 0.2%, amounting to 404 mn liters.
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