Beer market in France - statistics & facts

Already brewed in Ancient Egypt, beer is one of the oldest alcoholic beverages in the world. Present on every continent, beer has, however, suffered competition from wine, the queen drink in France, which has relegated it to the back of the podium among the drinks most consumed in France. But in recent years beer has experienced a renaissance in France. Since 2010, the number of breweries on French territory has exploded. This rebirth has a name: craft beer.

A worldwide thirst for beer

Although craft beer has been present in the U.S. and UK markets since the 1970s, sales have not been enough to quench the thirst of all human beings. Historic brewers such as Stella Artois or Heineken are raking in billions of U.S. dollars in revenue worldwide. A newcomer to the beer market, China is increasingly interfering in the globalization of hop drinks, for which Chinese breweries are among the world's largest producers by volume.

The rebirth of beer in France

BGI/Groupe Castel is the leading brewer, and this group is taking advantage of the growing popularity of beer in France. For the first time, the beer industry exceeded 3 billion euros in production in 2017, even though it decreased slightly in the following years. While consumption is lower than that of its European neighbors, France nevertheless stands out in the export of malt, the main ingredient in the manufacture of beer. France is one of the main exporters of beer malt worldwide, as it is one of the world's leading barley-producing countries.

The craft beer phenomenon

Craft beers are beers produced by craft breweries or microbreweries in smaller quantities than "historical breweries". These craft beers often produce top fermentation beers, i.e. the yeasts used for ale transform sugar into alcohol at a higher temperature and tend to rise to the surface. The processing period is also shorter for this type of beer, which allows production in small quantities. These beers are ales, stout, porter, and Trappist and are gaining a following in France.

Brewing the future

So, is France soon going to be the land of beer? Not for the moment, it seems, as 25.2 million hectoliters of wine are still consumed in France annually, compared to 22.2 million hectoliters of beer. Yet wine consumption is declining, while for beer the opposite is true.
This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.
Published by Statista Research Department, Jun 30, 2023

Key insights

Evolution of the number of microbreweries in France 2009-2021
+774%
Turnover in the manufacturing beer industry in France
2.9bn EUR
France's best-selling specialty beer in supermarkets
Leffe
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Editor’s Picks Current statistics on this topic

Number of active beer breweries in France from 2009 to 2021

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Number of active beer breweries in France 2009-2021

Sales volume of specialty beers in hyper and supermarkets in France in 2022 (in million liters)

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Highest-selling specialty beers in supermarkets in France 2022

Annual volume of beer consumed per capita in France from 2008 to 2021 (in liters)

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Annual volume of beer consumed per capita in France 2008-2021

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