Germany: German breweries falling behind global competitors

Some of Germany's world-renowned breweries are falling behind international competitors, according to a new industry ranking released on June 11.

The world's 40 biggest breweries produced a total of some 164 million litres of beer in 2024, a slight decline of 0.6% compared to the previous year, BarthHaas, the biggest trader of hops globally, reported.

While six German breweries feature among the top 40, only one of them - the Bitburger Braugruppe Group - achieved growth of 1.5%, according to the analysis.

Production at TCB Beteiligungsgesellschaft, which owns breweries like Dresden's Feldschlößchen, remained stagnant.

Munich-based brewery Paulaner, which is known for its wheat beers, saw beer output decrease by 0.6% last year, while Radeberger Group, the top-ranked German brewery in 23rd place, saw a decline of 1.4%.

Oettinger Group, which was the second-highest ranked German brewery in 2023 but has since dropped to 30th place, saw beer production drop significantly by 12% in 2024.

The main reason behind the poorer performance of German breweries was the nationalization of brewing businesses in Russia, according to the trader.

BarthHaas's ranking of the world's biggest breweries is published annually. The 2024 edition was again topped by Belgian brewery AB InBev, with some 50 million litres produced last year.