Fresh data from Eurostat, released on 31 August 2026, show that the European Union's breweries produced 34.4 billion litres of beer in 2025. That is a modest 0.7% drop from the previous year, continuing a slow but steady decline in traditional beer output. Yet the picture is not uniformly gloomy: alcohol-free beer keeps expanding, and a handful of member states are bucking the broader trend.
Germany remains the EU's undisputed brewing heavyweight, with Spain holding onto second place. According to the Socioeconomic Report on the Beer Sector in Spain 2025, compiled by Cerveceros de España and the agriculture ministry, Spanish production reached 41.5 million hectolitres last year — up 0.5% from 2024 and 5.1% above pre-pandemic levels in 2019. The Spanish figures do not always align exactly with Eurostat's, because the EU statistics agency measures “production sold” under its PRODCOM classification, while national associations apply their own methodologies. Either way, Spain's position as the EU's second-largest producer is secure.
Eurostat notes that for the Netherlands and Poland, rankings rely on “own-account production” because total production sold is not published for reasons of statistical confidentiality. That methodological caveat aside, the overall numbers are clear.
Key figures for 2025
- Total EU production: 34.4 billion litres.
- Change from 2024: -0.7%.
- Change from 2020: +2.2% (output is now at or above pre-pandemic levels).
- Beer with alcohol (above 0.5% ABV): 32.3 billion litres.
- Alcohol-free or low-alcohol beer (0.5% ABV or less): 2.1 billion litres.
Alcohol-free beer now accounts for just over 6% of everything brewed in the EU, a share that has climbed steadily in recent years. The trend is consistent across the bloc: traditional beer is flat or slightly down, while the non-alcoholic segment is the only one posting year-on-year growth.
On the trade front, the outlook is less encouraging. European beer exports fell in 2025 to their lowest level since 2014, reflecting weaker international demand. In 2024, the Netherlands was the EU's largest exporter, shipping 1.5 billion litres (down 12% from 2023), followed by Germany and Belgium with 1.4 billion litres each, then Czechia (600 million) and Ireland (500 million).
Who brews and who drinks the most alcohol-free beer?
One of the more striking findings is that the leading producer of alcohol-free beer is not the leading consumer. Germany tops the EU in non-alcoholic output, a segment that has nearly doubled there over the past decade. But Spain is, by a considerable margin, the continent's biggest market for such drinks. According to the 2025 Spanish sector report, one in every four alcohol-free beers consumed in the entire EU is drunk in Spain.
Sales of alcohol-free beer in Spain rose 4.6% year-on-year in 2025, reaching 3.3 million hectolitres (330 million litres) — a record that now represents 14% of all beer consumed in the country. Notably, 90% of those who drink alcohol-free beer also regularly consume the alcoholic version, suggesting that the non-alcoholic option complements rather than replaces traditional beer. This pattern fits with a broader shift towards moderation, as seen in falling smoking rates across the EU, though vaping keeps nicotine use high.
Spain's resilience is also notable in the wider context. While most European markets are cutting back on alcoholic beer, Spain managed to increase its total output in 2025, buoyed by strong ties to the hospitality sector and a social, moderate drinking culture. That stands in contrast to the general downward drift elsewhere.
Per-capita consumption: Czechia leads
When it comes to drinking, the top spot does not belong to Germany. Czechia leads the EU with an average of around 190 litres per person per year, far ahead of any other member state. Austria, Poland (about 99.6 litres), Ireland and Lithuania follow. Spain typically ranks around sixth, with roughly 95 litres per person annually.
The rise of alcohol-free beer is partly driven by greater awareness of health risks and a search for “healthier” alternatives that now compete with kombucha or premium soft drinks. In France, the trend is also visible, though the market remains smaller than in Spain or Germany. As Europeans adjust their spending habits — trimming essentials to protect leisure spending — beer remains a staple of social life, but the glass is increasingly half-empty in the alcohol-free sense.
