Germany’s brewing industry is experiencing a significant shift in consumer preferences, with the production of non-alcoholic beer seeing a dramatic surge over the past decade. Recent figures released by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) reveal that nearly 579 million liters of alcohol-free beer were produced in 2024, valued at approximately €606 million. This represents a near doubling (+96.1 percent) of production compared to 2014, when volumes stood at just over 295 million liters.
While non-alcoholic beer continues its upward trajectory, the overall production of beer containing alcohol has decreased. In 2024, German breweries produced roughly 7.2 billion liters of alcoholic beer, worth approximately €6.6 billion. This is a 14.0 percent reduction from 2014, when production reached about 8.4 billion liters. The ratio of alcoholic to non-alcoholic beer has also changed considerably; in 2014, there were approximately 28 liters of alcoholic beer produced for every liter of non-alcoholic beer, a figure that has shrunk to about 12 liters in 2024.
The trend extends to mixed beer beverages, such as Radler, which contain a lower alcohol content but are not entirely alcohol-free. Production of these beverages has also increased, rising from approximately 333 million liters in 2014 to around 364 million liters in 2024, representing a 9.3 percent increase. However, this rise is considerably less pronounced than that of alcohol-free beer production.