How many times we have been told by college professors that culture is dynamic and changes all the time? Germany can definitely serve as a great example to that. Who would think a couple of years ago that German appetite for beer would be shrinking so badly today, if at all? Well, it is happening as I write this. The main reason for a decline in beer drinking in Germany is not the economic downturn, as many of us would think. It is the ageing, shrinking population that is drinking less.
According to a recent article in The Economist, in 1991 the average German quaffed 142 litres of beer. By 2009 German beer consumption per head had fallen below 110 litres, less than in Ireland, Austria, and the Czech Republic. Another fall is expected this year. Along with the ageing population, young Germans also seem to be erasing beer from the list of their favorite drinks, prefering more exotic or non-alcoholic drinks. Health concerns are also growing among the middle-aged, creating a greater market for wine consumption and shrinking the one for beer.
Beer drinking decline is not unique to Germany, but it is especially noticeable there because beer is an important part of the country’s culture and heritage. It is also one of its oldest industries, dating back to 1000 A.D., when German monks first began to experiment with brewing. As of 2009, Germany housed 1,300 breweries, employing 30,000 people who produced 5,000 different beers. This is the largest beer market in Europe and the most fragmented in the world!
Oktoberfest is still on the list of Germans’ favorite holidays. They are still one of the biggest world’s beer drinkers. But things are changing. According to The Economist, in 20 years beer consumption in Germany may fall to as little as 80 litres per head. Nobody is sure where this journey will end up and how this will impact the economic development of Germany and the European Union as a whole.
“Advancements in Beer.” Oct. 23, 2010 .
“German Beer Drinking. Oktobergloom.” The Economist. Oct. 9-15, 2010. Vol. 397. No 8703. Oct. 20, 2010.
Schneibel, Gerhard. “Brewers not worried by beer consumption drop.” Deutsche Welle. Apr. 23, 2010, Oct. 27, 2010 < http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,5489225,00.html>.
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