Belgium falls out of the top 5 beer producers; Spain shows strong growth

Belgium is no longer among the top five beer-producing countries in Europe, although this is mainly due to an administrative error. Beer production is declining just about everywhere, except in Spain.

One notable exception

According to a new report from Eurostat, 34.4 billion liters of beer were brewed in the EU last year. That represents a 0.7% decline compared to 2024. Germany remains by far the largest beer producer, with 7.4 billion liters, or 21.6% of total production. Spain, Poland, the Netherlands, and France round out the top five.

The fact that Belgium, a major beer-producing country, has fallen out of the top five for the first time is due to an administrative issue: Eurostat compiled the ranking for the first time by combining alcoholic and non-alcoholic beer, and the EU did not receive figures from Belgium regarding the production of non-alcoholic beer. As a result, the country now ranks sixth.

The figures also show that beer production is declining in nearly all European countries. There is one notable exception: Spain. Beer production there increased by as much as a quarter. Both the Spanish themselves and the many tourists in the country apparently enjoy a beer, and exports of Spanish beer are also on the rise.