Africa went against the grain of falling global beer production in 2025, data compiled by major hop supplier BarthHaas shows.
In a report issued by BarthHaas yesterday (21 July), BarthHaas said output fell 0.7% last year to just below 1.9bn hectolitres.
Production in each of Europe, the Americas, Asia and Oceania declined in 2025, although more beer was brewed in Africa, BarthHaas said.
Output in Africa, boosted by production in South Africa, grew 2.6% to 166.7 million hectolitres (mhl).
The picture across the Americas was mixed, with output in North America down 1.9% but rising in Central and South America by 1.3% and 1.7% respectively, the data showed.
In Europe, beer production declined 1.6%. Germany, the region’s biggest brewer (and sixth globally) saw its output fall more than 5%.
Overall output in Asia fell 1.2% to 586.7mhl as higher production in India was offset by a declines in China, the world’s largest brewer. Production also fell in Myanmar, Japan, Vietnam and South Korea.
BarthHaas also provides data for the production of individual brewing groups.
According to the company, Anheuser-Busch InBev accounted for more than a quarter of global beer production last year at 484.2mhl. Heineken stood second, brewing 235.7mhl, some 12.4% of global output.
Looking ahead, the company added: “Global beer production is expected to stabilise at the previous year’s level for the 2026 brewing year, with growth in Africa, Asia, and Central and South America being wiped out by declines in Europe and North America.”
“Africa bucks trend of falling global beer output” was originally created and a GlobalData owned brand
