EU beer exports fall to 3.2 billion litres in 2025 — Belgium stays top exporter
EU exports of beer outside the bloc fell 11% to 3.2 billion litres in 2025, while imports rose to about 500 million litres; Belgium remained the top exporter.
The European Union exported 3.2 billion litres of beer in 2025 to countries outside the bloc, a decline of 11 percent compared with the previous year, Eurostat data show — but Belgium remained the EU’s largest beer exporter.
Shifting flows: exports down, imports up
While total exports outside the EU fell, imports of beer into the Union rose by 6 percent, reaching roughly 500 million litres, signalling changes in European consumption and a growing presence of foreign brands on supermarket shelves.
Belgium led exporters in 2025, shipping a total of 1.5 billion litres (including intra-EU shipments). The Netherlands followed with 1.4 billion litres and Germany with 1.3 billion litres. The Czech Republic and Ireland each exported about 600 million litres last year.
On the import side, France was the largest buyer of beer within the EU, taking in around 900 million litres in 2025. Italy imported more than 700 million litres, while Germany and Spain each imported roughly 600 million litres. The Netherlands imported approximately 300 million litres.
Eurostat released the figures to coincide with International Beer Day, which is traditionally observed on the first Friday in August, underscoring the sector’s seasonality and the public interest in beer market statistics.
In a related note, reports say that after 346 years the oldest German brewery is closing, a development that highlights ongoing structural changes in the industry.
Photo: FriPik
