Which country drinks the most beer? A look at global consumption

Since 2013, four countries have dominated the beer industry in terms of their share in the global market, but this doesn't tell the full story

While beer is the most-consumed alcoholic beverage in the world, annual per capita consumption data from various countries do not tell the whole story.

On the per capita consumption side of things, the Czech Republic is the undisputed leader, with the average Czech citizen, as of 2020, consuming a whopping 181.9 litres of beer or 287.4 large (633 ml) bottles annually. Most notably, perhaps, the Czech Republic has occupied the top spot for years now, and does not look like slowing down.

A distant second, as of 2020, is Austria where the annual per capita consumption stands at 96.8 litres or 153 large bottles. Poland, meanwhile, follows closely behind, with its annual per capita consumption standing at 96.1 litres or 151.8 large bottles.

Beyond the top three countries, there are a number of small countries, such as Namibia, Estonia, and Lithuania that outdo much larger countries in terms of annual per capita beer consumption. Germany, known for its love of beer, also features prominently.

While this statistic alone may lead one to think that the aforementioned countries guzzle beer and dominate the global market, a look at aggregate consumption suggests otherwise.

Since 2013, four countries, namely China, the United States, Brazil, and Russia have dominated the beer industry in terms of their share in the global market, with Russia being outdone in a couple of years by Mexico and Germany. China, notably, is far ahead of the rest in terms of aggregate consumption.

However, the larger populations of these four countries drive down their per capita consumption numbers.