Global beer production increased for the 19th consecutive year in 2003, with China remaining the top producer with its output accounting for 17.1% of the world production, Kirin Brewery Co. said Monday, August 30. The world's beer output in the reporting year totaled 147.16 billion litres, up 2.0 % from 2002, according to Japan's major beer brewer.

China produced a total of 25.10 billion litres of beer in 2003, up 7.0 % from the previous year. It ranked top for the second consecutive year. Beer production in China has risen in line with its strong economic growth in recent years. The fact that an increasing number of foreign beer producers have began local production was another reason for the brisk beer production, Kirin Brewery said.

The United States came second, with output of 23.08 billion litres, or 15.7 % of the world output. But its annual output represents a 1.6 % fall from that in 2002.

Germany ranked third with an output of 10.53 billion litres, down 2.1 %, followed by Brazil with 8.52 billion litres, down 2.3 %, and Russia with 7.57 billion litres, up 7.8 %.

Japan was at seventh place with 6.53 billion litres, including output of "happoshu" low-malt beer, down 6.5 percent from the previous year due to the relatively cool summer in the reporting year as well as a tax increase for happoshu, Kirin Brewery said. In 2002, Japan was at sixth, but in 2003 Mexico surpassed Japan with output of 6.64 billion litres, up 4.3 %, to rank sixth.

01 September, 2004