Beer: Belgium has lost its position as European leader
Drawing. (@BelgaImage)
The Netherlands produces and exports more beer than Belgium according to Eurostat data for 2021. With around 1.9 billion liters exported last year, our Dutch neighbors are even the largest beer exporters in the European Union.
With 1.7 billion liters of beer exported in 2021, which represents 19% of EU exports, Belgium has to settle for second place in this ranking. Non-alcoholic beers are not included in the calculation of the quantities exported.
Germany, where beer consumption is very high, remains the largest producer in Europe with 7.5 billion liters produced, or nearly a quarter of the beer brewed on the Old Continent. The Germans exported 1.6 billion liters last year and therefore occupy third place on the podium.
Germany is followed by Poland and Spain which are equal with 3.7 billion liters of products. Next comes the Netherlands, which produced 2.5 billion liters in 2021. Belgium is not in the top 5 producers.
In 2021, a total of 33.1 billion liters of beer were brewed in the EU, 3% more than in 2020. This corresponds to an average of 78 liters of beer produced per European.
Almost 41% of the beer produced in the EU is exported to the UK and the USA. In 2021, before the invasion of Ukraine, Russia was the third largest importer of beers brewed in Europe.