Overview
- Official 2025 data show German beer sales down 6% to 7.8 billion liters, slipping below 8 billion for the first time since reunification-era records.
- Bavarian breweries report total sales falling to 22.5 million hectoliters, the number of breweries dropping below 600, and exports to non‑EU countries plunging about 18.3%.
- Northern markets were hit hardest, with Schleswig‑Holstein and Hamburg posting a 10.6% decline to 242 million liters and only just over 20 breweries remaining in Schleswig‑Holstein.
- Industry leaders criticize public‑health messaging such as “Dry January,” while Bavaria’s health minister defends warnings by citing research that even moderate drinking raises cancer risk.
- Brewers expand alcohol‑free lines that now account for roughly a tenth of sales, restructure operations, and pursue selective investments, including Hofbräu’s new CEO and a planned €8 million Oktoberfest tent for 2027.