NETHERLANDS – Beer sales in the Netherlands experienced a notable decline of 5.6 percent in 2023, coupled with a reduction in the number of breweries for the first time since 2001, according to data from the Breweries association in the country.  

The association attributed this decline to factors such as adverse summer weather, high prices, and a growing preference for special and low-alcohol beers. 

Both on-trade and domestic consumption witnessed a decrease in sales, with Pilsner and other beer blends seeing a 6.5 percent and 15.2 percent decline, respectively.  

On the other hand, speciality beer styles and non-alcoholic beer, which have shown growth in recent years, maintained stable sales.  

Fred Teeven, director of Nederlandse Brouwers said, “Alcohol-free beer has been the motor of beer sales. The sale of alcohol-free beer has stabilised and its prospects for this year are not good unless it is exempted from the tax hike on soft drinks from eight cents to 26 cents per 100 litres.  

We are calling for 0 percent tax on alcohol-free beer. The breweries have made a deal with the government to promote the sale of alcohol-free beer. That is now being undermined by the tax hike.”  

Consequently, the number of breweries in the Netherlands decreased for the first time since 2001.  

Data from Stiching Erfgoed Nederlandse Biercultuur revealed that 76 breweries ceased operations in 2023, citing reasons such as bankruptcies and lack of profitability.  

This trend aligns with a broader shift in beer consumption patterns observed in Germany, where beer sales dropped by 4.5 percent in the previous year. 

German-based breweries and distributors sold about 8.4 billion liters of beer in 2023, excluding non-alcoholic beer and beer imported from outside the European Union. 

While beer sales in 2022 witnessed a 2.7 percent increase following the recovery from COVID-19 restrictions, demand in both domestic and EU markets decreased again in 2023.  

The long-term downward trend in German beer sales has been linked to health concerns and various factors, with last year’s sales being 11.3 percent lower than in 2013 and 25.3 percent lower than in 1993, according to the Federal Statistical Office. 

 

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