Beer consumption in the Czech Republic fell to a “historic” low last year, pulling down brewery output and exports.
Domestic breweries produced 19.96 million hectolitres in 2025, down 4.3% year on year, according to the Czech Association of Breweries and Malteries.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
That was 894,000 hectolitres less than in 2024 and 1.6 million hectolitres below 2019 levels, the trade body said.
In a statement, Tomáš Slunečko, the association’s executive director, said: “Compared to the pre-Covid year, 320 million fewer half litres of Czech beer were drunk last year in the Czech Republic and abroad. Only 2021 was weaker in the last ten years but it was affected by the pandemic.”
Domestic consumption fell 3.2% to a “historic” low of 121 litres per capita, with the average Czech drinking eight fewer large beers than a year earlier, the association said.
Exports, which accounted for more than a quarter of total output, dropped 8.2% after reaching a record in 2024.
“Not only we, but also other brewery associations across Europe are noticing the declining beer consumption,” Slunečko said.
“For example, Slovaks or Germans, which are key countries for the export of Czech beer, also drink less beer than before, and this has a significant impact on our exports.”
Slunečko said the shift reflects changing consumer habits, with drinkers opting for moderation, healthier lifestyles and a broader range of higher-quality beers.
The production of non-alcoholic beer, including flavoured variants, rose 4% to 1.68 million hectolitres. Domestic consumption has more than doubled over the past decade, the association said.
Beer drinking also continued to shift away from pubs and restaurants. On-trade consumption accounted for just 28% of domestic beer consumption last year, down one percentage point from 2024, highlighting growing pressure on hospitality venues.
“In our opinion, the hospitality industry needs support. In our opinion, a reduction in VAT on draft beer would help stabilise the sector,” Slunečko added.
By category, lagers strengthened their position, accounting for 59% of total consumption.
Last month, the German Brewers’ Association (DBB) said alcoholic beer sales in the country fell 5.8% in 2025 to about 6.4 billion litres, citing “demographic changes” and weaker consumer spending among the reasons for the decline.
By contrast, non-alcoholic beer output rose 7.6% in 2025 to roughly 750 million litres.
The DBB said non-alcoholic beers and mixed non-alcoholic beer drinks now make up about 11% of total beer consumption in Germany, making the country the “European leader” in non-alcoholic beer brewing.
Germany still has 1,415 breweries but the sector has come under strain. After the number of breweries climbed to 1,552 in 2019, a total of 137 have closed since then.
Employment in Germany’s brewing industry has remained broadly stable over the past eight years, standing at 27,400 in 2025.
