Beer production and consumption dropped

Due to the anti-epidemic restrictions, mainly the closure of restaurants and pubs, both production and consumption of beer fell in Czechia.

Breweries in the Czech Republic brewed 20.1 million hectolitres of beer last year - that is a year-on-year decrease of 6.9%. At the same time, beer consumption per capita dropped by about 7 litres - or 14 large beers - to 135 litres. This is the lowest number since the 1960s, says the Czech Beer and Malt Association.

A quarter of beers were drunk in restaurants - in 2019, it was every third beer. According to the Association, 500 pubs have already closed down and hundreds more are expected to follow this year. The beer industry is negatively affected not only by the closure of these establishments, but also by the just recently repelled ban on alcohol consumption in public, the cancellation of sports and cultural events and a lack of tourists.

For the first time in nine years, beer export also fell in 2020. It amounted to about five million hectolitres - that means a year-on-year decrease of 381,000 hectolitres. Beer imports increased by 56,000 hectolitres - or 12.8% - to 492,000 hectolitres. Imported beer accounts for about three percent of domestic consumption and comes mainly from other EU countries.