UK: UK alcohol consumption down 19% since 2004, but number of brewers rises to 1,700 last year - report

UK alcohol consumption has dropped 19% since its 2004 peak and remained stable in 2014, according to the Annual Statistical Handbook from the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA).

The UK is ranked 19th in EU per-capita alcohol consumption, according to the report.

In 2014/15, Government tax receipts from alcohol sales (made up of excise duties and VAT) reached a new high of GBP18.4 bln (US$28 bln), claimed the BBPA. Revenues from beer made up 34% of the total at GBP6.2 bln. The BBPA said there is still scope to cut beer duties in the country, outlining that the duty paid on each UK pint remains the second highest in the EU at GBP0.522, trailing Finland at GBP0.646.

"The duty rate in the UK is now an astonishing 14 times that in Europe’s largest beer market, Germany," said the BBPA.

The number of breweries in the country, meanwhile, has risen to 1,700 in 2014 from 500 in 2000. The BBPA also reported the first annual rise in UK beer sales since 2004, with sales up 1.3% in 2014.

Brigid Simmonds, chief executive, said: “It’s great to see beer putting in such a solid performance in 2014, while at the same time, the trends in alcohol harm are coming down. With the right policies for the hospitality sector, there is huge scope for growing the economy, creating new jobs and careers.”

25 September, 2015