Germans drank 2.96 billion litres of beer, unchanged from the same period last year, according to the Federal Statistics Office. Figures released today by the German government show consumption levelling off in the third quarter. The result is attributed to the unseasonably hot summer that swept Europe this year. German beer consumption has fallen in recent years.The amount of beer drunk in Germany has been on the wane due primarily to increasing health awareness and the sluggish economy. The introduction of an unpopular system of deposits on cans and bottles earlier this year exacerbated the situation.

Across Europe, the summer contributed to a rise in beer exports in the third quarter by 18%, with 380 million litres being sold abroad.

03 November, 2003