Belgians drink 20 % less beer than a decade ago, and at the same time beer exports are also under pressure – now even more so due to Trump’s import tariffs. Despite this perfect storm, brewers continue to invest.
Structural decline
The structural decline in beer consumption continues: brewers sold 2.1 % less beer in Belgium last year. The drop was more limited in retail (1.5 %) than in hospitality (2.9 %). This drop is slightly less than in 2023, when consumption declined by 6 %. Belgians drank almost 6.4 million hectolitres of beer last year, which is a fifth less than ten years ago, according to the new annual report of the Belgian Brewers.
