Global Beer Consumption Rises After Two-Year Slump

Global beer consumption in 2021 grew 4% from a year earlier for the first rise in two years, as sales at restaurants recovered following the coronavirus pandemic, according to data compiled by a major Japanese beverage company, Mainichi Japan reported.

Photo Insert: Asia topped beer consumption by region for the 14th consecutive year, accounting for 31.4% of the total.

Global consumption totaled around 185.60 million kiloliters (kl), with China ranking top for the 19th consecutive year at 38.09 million kl, up 5.6%, according to data released by Kirin Holdings Co.

China was followed by the United States at 24.17 million kl, up 1.1%, and Brazil at 14.54 million kl, up 5%, Kirin said.

Japan fell to 8th from 7th in 2020, with its consumption down 5.2% to 4.18 million kl on the back of protracted pandemic-related requests for eating and drinking establishments not to serve alcohol.

Britain moved to 7th from 9th with a 12.7% increase after its consumption in 2020 plummeted due to strict pandemic curbs, the Associated Press (AP) also reported.

Asia topped beer consumption by region for the 14th consecutive year, accounting for 31.4% of the total, followed by Europe with 26.5%. In terms of annual per capita beer consumption, the Czech Republic took first place for the 29th straight year at 184.1 liters. Japan consumed 33.2 liters per capita to rank 53rd.

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