Try our business solution for free!

Beer industry in the UK - statistics & facts

There are multiple ways to measure an industry's performance. One is to look at sales from the manufacture of beer in the UK, which came to 3.4 billion British pounds. The turnover mentioned above was generated with over 24 thousand barrels of beer sold. Due to lockdowns and a sharp drop in demand production of beer in the UK dropped substantially in 2020, before rebounding in 2021.

Trade

In terms of trade, UK beer imports totaled 483 million GBP in 2020, a small decrease compared to 2020. The Netherlands was the single biggest trade partner in terms of beer imports. The pandemic coupled with Brexit took their toll on UK beer exports, totaling just 401 million GBP in 2020, the lowest level in over a decade. Exports grew only slightly in 2021. Europe was the largest trading partner for beer exports in 2021.

Beer drinking

Adding imported beer cleared for consumption to the amount of UK produced beer totaled 46 million hectoliters approved for consumption in 2021, a turnaround after 2020's steep decline. On an individual level, 73 liters of beer were consumed per capita on average. The most popular type of beer in the UK was India pale ale, followed by pale ale. In terms of sales, Carling lead lagers and Sharp's Doom Bar led cask ales. Facing rising inflation, consumers anticipate changing their drinking habits at pubs and restaurants. Most consumers expect to go out less frequently and drink less rather than switching to cheaper brands, should their discretionary budget shrink.
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 Jan Conway, Aug 29, 2022

Key insights

Industry turnover in the UK
6.8bn GBP
Annual beer sales volume in the UK
24m barrels
Annual per capita beer consumption in the UK
68L
Get more insights

Editor’s Picks Current statistics on this topic

Annual beer sales volume in the United Kingdom (UK) from 2000 to 2020 (in million barrels)

Beer

Beer annual sales in the United Kingdom (UK) 2000-2020

Most popular beer categories in the United Kingdom (UK) in 2022

Beer

Most popular beer categories in the United Kingdom (UK) 2022

Annual volume of beer consumed per capita in the United Kingdom (UK) from 2008 to 2021 (in liters)

Beer

United Kingdom (UK): annual volume of beer consumed per capita 2008-2021

Related topics

Recommended

4

Recommended statistics

Industry overview

5

Industry overview

Trade

8

Trade

On-trade

4

On-trade

Consumption

10

Consumption

Brands

5

Brands

Reports & StudiesGet the best reports to understand your industry

Contact

Get in touch with us. We are happy to help.
Statista Locations
Contact Meredith Alda
Meredith Alda
Client Support Specialist– Contact (United States)
Email
support@statista.com

Mon - Fri, 9am - 6pm (EST)

Contact Yolanda Mega
Yolanda Mega
Operations Manager– Contact (Asia)
Email
asia.support@statista.com

Mon - Fri, 9am - 5pm (SGT)

Contact Kisara Mizuno
Kisara Mizuno
Senior Business Development Manager– Contact (Asia)
Email
support.japan@statista.com

Mon - Fri, 10:00am - 6:00pm (JST)

Contact Lodovica Biagi
Lodovica Biagi
Director of Operations– Contact (Europe)
Email
eu.support@statista.com

Mon - Fri, 9:30am - 5pm (GMT)

Contact Carolina Dulin
Carolina Dulin
Associate Director - LAC– Contact (Latin America)
Email
support@statista.com

Mon - Fri, 9am - 6pm (EST)

Menu