Despite the ongoing economic crisis, beer consumption in Italy has grown since 2012, ending 2016 with an increase of 1.6%, according to data from the Fondazione Birra Moretti (Birra Moretti Foundation).
The foundation was set up by Heineken Italia and Partesa with the goal of promoting the beer culture in Italy. Its data shows that last year beer consumption in Italy amounted to 31.5 litres per person, compared to 30.8 litres in 2015.
Global Beer Trends
Beer production has been growing in Italy – January 2017 saw a 3.5% growth in comparison to the same month in 2016. In the period from 2010 to 2015, Italy recorded a growth of 9.4%, ahead of Spain, the UK, the Netherlands and Germany.
In 2016, Italy’s largest beer producers generated a turnover of about €2 billion, with a growth of 21% over the last decade. The top 10 companies account for about 86% of the turnover in the sector.
There has also been strong growth in Italian beer exports over the past decade, with nearly 2.3 million hl exported in 2015 (+14% on 2014). However, imports accounted for 37.3% of Italian beer consumption - a much higher figure compared to Germany (7.6%), Spain (12.4%), the Netherlands (14.3%), and the UK (20.6%). Overall, Italy imports nearly 7 million hl of beer.
Heineken is considering increasing investments in Italy as it sees strong growth opportunities in the country. According to Heineken Italia CEO, Soren Hagh, Italy is the country with the lowest beer consumption per head in Europe, but at the same time it also has the highest level of reputation for beer, reports Ansa.
© 2017 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Branislav Pekic. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine
