Beer alert: Netherlands overtakes Belgium in terms of beer exports

Belgium’s beer sector is taking a hit: Belgians drank noticeably less beer last year and exports fell significantly. In fact, the Netherlands has already overtaken Belgium as the biggest beer exporter. What’s going on?

Less in the pub

Has Belgian beer become too expensive? Or do people just not like it anymore? Consumption of Belgian beer reached a historic low in 2023: domestically, volumes fell 6% to 6.53 million hectolitres, but for the first time since measurements were taken, there was also a solid drop (7.5%) in exports. Outside the EU, sales fell as much as 22.2%. Today, the Netherlands is Europe’s biggest beer exporter.

Domestically, beer consumption has been falling for years, but now the drop is three times the average, the Belgian brewers association claims. Rising prices are the major culprits, according to the brewers, especially in the on-trade. Thanks to stiff price competition, Belgians are increasingly buying their beer at retail, while the on-trade is losing ground (due to higher prices).

Although it could also mean that Belgians are simply going to pubs less. Another issue is the growing demand for drinks without alcohol. The volume of beers without or with little alcohol did increase by 12%, although that market still only accounts for 4.8% of the whole sector.

Local preference

For exports – at 15 million hectolitres, almost three times as large as domestic consumption – prices also factor in badly. Due to higher costs, foreign markets increasingly prefer local supply, as it is growing strongly in Italy, France and the US, among others. Exports to the US thus fell by 18% by 2023; since 2020, US sales have meanwhile shrunk tenfold. Remarkably, Russia is now the biggest export market for Belgian beers.

The consequences are being felt: last year, 36 breweries went out of business, while for the first time in 15 years more breweries closed than new ones started up. Belgium had 417 breweries at the end of December, according to the brewers’ federation.