German Beer Sales Fall for a Fourth Year
Date: 03-Feb-04
Country: GERMANY
"Even the hottest summer in a century could not even out the slump in sales caused by political decisions," said Erich Dederichs, a spokesman for the German Brewers' Association, which represents around 90 percent of beermakers.
Beer production fell 2.1 percent from the previous year, the eighth decline in the past decade, to 105.5 million hectoliters, from 107.8 million in 2002, the Federal Statistics Office said.
A hectoliter is 100 liters (22 Imperial gallons). Last year's sales were enough to fill about 10,560 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
German beer production has been declining steadily since the mid-1990s, when breweries produced more than 115 million hectoliters a year. The country is still the third biggest consumer on a per capita basis, behind the Czech Republic and Ireland.
Brewers have said changing demographics are partly to blame for the drop in demand as fewer younger people in the German population means fewer beer drinkers.
They also blame the slide on the fact that drinkers must pay a 25-cent deposit for each throwaway can, a rule that came into effect in January 2003 to promote recycling. The effect of the law has been to virtually eliminate canned beer on the German market.
Over 80 per cent of Germany's 5,000 brands of beer are now sold in reusable containers, with glass and plastic bottles replacing tins.
The production figures included a 9.1 percent increase in beer exports last year to 12.3 million hectoliters. Germany sold nine million hectoliters to its 14 European Union partners and 3.1 million hectoliters to countries outside the bloc.
"There will be even more opportunities here for many brewers in the future," Dederichs said.
