World Beer Consumption

[Plucky 0]

China toasts surging growth with beer, outdrinks US

 

Fri Dec 17,11:33 AM ET

 

TOKYO (AFP) - The Chinese are toasting their economic growth with beer as the country for the first time surpassed the United States as the world's top beer guzzler, a global survey by a Japanese brewer said.

 

Chinese drinkers chugged down nearly 25 billion liters (6.6 billion gallons) in 2003, accounting for 17.3 percent of the world's beer consumption of 144 billion liters.

 

The United States accounted for 16.5 percent, said the study by Kirin Brewery.

 

Increasing incomes saw the Chinese drink 6.4 percent more beer in 2003, while US consumptino fell 0.4 percent in 2003 from 2002, the survey said.

 

"The growing middle class in China was the main factor behind the increasing beer consumption," said Hiroki Umezawa, Kirin spokesman.

 

"Japanese and foreign beer makers believe the Chinese beer market has a lot of growth potential. As the Chinese economy grows stronger, its beer consumption should rise," he said.

 

However, on a per capita basis, the Chinese were still a long way behind their American peers.

 

With a population of 1.3 billion people, consumption worked out at 19.7 liters of beer per capita in 2003 compared with 81.6 for each American.

 

The Czechs kept the title of top beer lovers for the 11th straight year, drowning themselves with an average of 158.9 liters in 2003, followed by the Irish, who drank 135.7 liters, Kirin said.

 

Beer consumption rose 8.3 percent in Russia as the foamy drink grew trendier in the land of vodka but a a tax hike and a cold summer in 2003 cooled Japanese beer consumption, which fell 6.3 percent that year.

 

Global beer consumption grew for the 18th straight year in 2003, rising 1.9 percent from 2002, Kirin said.

 

**Note - Japanese beer SUCKS. Sapporo (my favorite there) is no better than Michelob or any other variety of shite beer in the US (or AU or UK). That's really not saying much. Where are the micros in Japan???? Kirin? ughhh

 

You Irish have some work to do. 11 years running as a bridesmaid? C'mon - it's the Czechs?

[cheeseman 1]

I would like to see a Cheese Consumption report. It would be interesting.