The number of beer breweries in Germany is declining, with an average of one brewery closing every week.
Total breweries in Germany in 2025, a 3.6 percent decrease from the previous year.
According to the German Federal Statistical Office, there were 1,415 beer breweries in Germany in 2025, which is 53 fewer than in the previous year. This figure represents an 8.8 percent drop compared to 2019, when the number of breweries reached a 30-year peak of 1,552.
Beer sales in Germany fell by 15.7 percent in 2025 compared to 2019. Breweries and beer warehouses sold approximately 7.8 billion liters in 2025, down from 8.3 billion liters in 2024 and 9.6 billion liters ten years prior.
People go out less, they drink less.
Regional trends and brewery sizes
Bavaria remains the federal state with the most breweries at 588, followed by Baden-Württemberg with 190 and North Rhine-Westphalia with 131. Between 2019 and 2025, Bavaria recorded 60 fewer brewing locations, while North Rhine-Westphalia saw a reduction of 31.
All German federal states recorded a decline in the number of breweries in 2025, with the exceptions of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Saxony-Anhalt. In Saxony, beer consumption is falling faster than the national average, resulting in the disappearance of well-known brands.
The industry is characterized by a high number of small-scale producers; 821 breweries, or more than half of the total, produce a maximum of 100,000 liters of beer annually. In contrast, only eight large breweries produced at least 200 million liters in 2025.
Shifting consumer preferences
A YouGov survey of 2,119 people aged 18 and over in Germany indicated that non-alcoholic beer variants are growing in popularity. Nearly a third of respondents stated they abstain completely from alcoholic beer.
The tradition of beer production in the region dates back to 1516, when Bavarian Dukes Wilhelm IV and Ludwig X established the Purity Law (Reinheitsgebot), stating beer should only contain water, hops, and barley. The German Empire later turned the Purity Law into law in 1906, adding yeast and wheat to the permitted ingredients.
