German Brewery Count Drops for Third Consecutive Year

The Federal Statistical Office of Germany reported that the number of breweries in the country declined by 3.6% in 2025 compared to 2024. This represents the third consecutive year of decreases and contributes to an 8.8% total drop since 2019, which was the year Germany recorded its highest brewery count in three decades.

This industry contraction aligns with falling consumer demand. Beer sales volumes fell 6% in 2025 to 7.8 billion liters, marking a 15.7% decrease from 2019 levels. The agency stated that "this trend is likely also attributable to declining beer sales."

Regional impacts vary across the country. Bavaria maintains the highest total count with 588 breweries, but it and North Rhine-Westphalia suffered the most significant losses. Conversely, brewery numbers increased in Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.