According to the union, the ongoing economic uncertainty and changes in the consumer behavior of customers had a negative impact on beer consumption per person and the share of sales in pubs and restaurants.
According to data from the Czech Statistical Office, beer consumption last year was the lowest in a series of comparisons since 1989. At that time, it was 151 liters per person, and in the 1990s it briefly jumped above 160 liters.
Photo: News
Beer consumption per 1 inhabitant in the Czech Republic
Back in 2009, consumption per inhabitant was 153 liters of beer, then it stayed above 140 liters for almost ten years, until it dropped to 129 liters in 2021.
“Last year’s consumption of 128 liters exceeded even the lowest average values from the time of the covid restrictions,” the brewery association said in a press release.
Budějovice Budvar had record sales of 3.37 billion crowns last year
Economy
Breweries in the Czech Republic brewed roughly 20 million hectoliters of beer last year, which was 2.7 percent less year-on-year.
“For the fourth year already, the values of the annual beer exhibition for the domestic market are below the level of 2010. Unfortunately, the expected revival of sales last year was hampered directly and indirectly by the unfavorable economic situation. This trend continues to have a negative effect on pubs and restaurants, especially those in smaller towns and villages,” said the director of the union, Tomáš Slunečko.
Leaning towards non-alcoholic beer
According to him, the habits of consumers are also changing, and they are increasingly leaning towards non-alcoholic beer or beer-based mixed drinks.
survey
Have you cut down on beer in the last year?
I prefer non-alcoholic or fruit beers
A total of 9439 readers voted.
Total exhibitions of this segment last year amounted to 1.42 million hectoliters, which represents a year-on-year increase of 9.3 percent. Compared to 2019, this is an increase of more than a third.
How to brew beer without alcohol
Men
After two years of growth, the export of Czech beer abroad also decreased last year. Beer exports fell by 4.3 percent year-on-year to a total of 5.17 million hectoliters, which roughly corresponds to the values of 2018. The most important export markets remain Slovakia, Germany and Poland.
Most often in glass
Czechs continue to most often buy beer in glass bottles, which had a 40 percent share of the total exhibition last year. Even in connection with the sale of non-alcoholic beer and beer mixes, there is a growing interest in cans, which account for 20 percent of the total exhibition. Barrels saw a slight decline last year, the share of which fell below one third, which is related to the slower return of consumers to pubs and restaurants. Beer in PET bottles maintains an eight percent share of the total exhibition.
Pubs are dying, cafes are thriving
Economy
