Asia overtakes Europe as the biggest beer producer

Asia has overtaken Europe as the world's biggest beer producer for the first time in 35 years, according to industry figures. Asian beer manufacturers produced 103 billion pints of beer in 2009, marking an increase of 5.5% compared to the previous year. At the same time, European beer companies experienced a production drop of 5.1 per cent to 97 billion pints during the same period, according to a study by the research department of Kirin Holdings Co, the Japanese beer giant.

Defying cultural stereotypes of beer-swilling Europeans, it is the first time that Asia has assumed the top spot in the world's beer producing since annual records began in 1974 by the Kirin Institute of Food and Lifestyle.

Vietnam fuelled the surge in Asian beer production, with an increase of more than 24 per cent in beer manufacturing over 2009, according to the report. India followed closely behind with an increase of 12 per cent, while China's beer manufacturers also collectively increased seven per cent over the past year. With the average Asian still consuming less beer than his or her European counterpart, there was still further scope for Asia to continue growing, according to Kyodo News.

''There is more room for further growth in Asia down the track because Asians' per capita consumption is relatively small,'' the report read.

Japan, however, did not contribute to the surge in beer production in Asia, instead experiencing a two per cent drop in production levels during the same period. The figures reflect a long-running trend: the nation's home beer market has shrunk by more than 15% in volume terms over the past decade. The continued decline in Japan's beer industry has prompted breweries to increasingly invest outside the country.

Asahi Breweries, ranked the world's 12th-largest beer maker, recently announced plans to keep 785 billion yen (£5.8billion) on tap for potential investments outside Japan over the next five years. Vietnam, however, is enjoying a steady increase in the popularity of its beers, with its popular labels Hanoi Beer and Saigon Beer recently chosen to be the official beverages at this year's Berlin International Beer Festival.


/Telegraph.co.uk/