The World Brewing Alliance (WBA) has revealed that the beer industry delivered US$878bn to the global gross domestic product (GDP) in 2023, representing 0.8% of the total figure.
The study, which was conducted by Oxford Economics and can be viewed here, is a global overview of the industry’s contribution across the journey from raw materials to final beer product. It claims to be the largest study to have been undertaken on the economic impact of the brewing industry and includes figures from 185 countries.
In 2023, brewers generated US$98bn in direct GDP, but their extensive supply chains and downstream activities magnified this impact ninefold, totalling US$878bn. Meanwhile, the sector contributed $376bn in taxes through beer production, sales and employment in the 12-month period, according to the research.
Around 33m jobs are supported by the brewing industry, the report noted, adding that “brewers directly employed 620,000 people and supported 11.3m jobs along the supply chain and 21.2m jobs through the downstream value chain, including distributors, retailers, and hospitality venues”. This means that, overall, “brewing supports activities in more than 20 other industries”.
“The beer industry has a huge, positive impact on the global economy, supporting a robust value chain that includes farmers, bottlers, shippers, and the hospitality sector,” said WBA CEO Justin Kissinger. “Economically, the vast majority of revenue for beer stays in the country where it’s consumed.”
“The … industry takes our responsibility to our local communities seriously and has been working hard to reduce the harmful use of alcohol through our investments in crafting and promoting lower- and no-alcohol beer. These products give consumers more options for drinking with moderation or participating in customs with or without alcohol.”
In 2023, the European Union revealed that beer production in the region dipped by 5% compared to the previous year, reaching 32.5bn litres. However, according to a recent report from Kirin Holdings that considered the 12 months of 2023, the volume of beer consumed worldwide inched up by 0.1% to 1.88bn hectolitres.
