929
909
0
5
10
15
20
Of which
exports
Production
0
500
1000
1500
2.000
18
11
Purchases
of supplies
Value added
Production
value (million €)
Million
hectolitres (hl)
5.107
0
1.000
2.000
3.000
4.000
5.000
6.000
0
200
400
600
800
1.000
510
118
188
146
Employment
Taxes, excise and social
security contributions (ssc)
brewing sector (million €)
Excise
VAT retail
VAT hospitality
Incomes taxes
and social
security
contributions
2 | Market structure, trends
and developments
3 | Direct effect
of the brewing sector
Belgium is Europe’s largest beer-exporting country
(measured as share of beer production)
9
, together with the
Netherlands, Denmark and Ireland. The actual volume of
beer produced in Belgium however decreased by 2.4% in
2010, although the number of breweries in Belgium has
remained stable.
In 2010, more than half of the total beer production
in Belgium was exported. Exports of beer have been
exceeding domestic consumption since 2006.
The main export markets for Belgian beers are France,
the Netherlands and Germany. Sales of imported beer
have decreased as well, from 1.2 million hectolitres in
2008 to 0.93 million hectolitres in 2010.
The Belgian brewing sector is well established and,
together with local brewers, it also encompasses several
international players. Belgium is home to one of the
world’s largest brewing companies (AB InBev).
A specifc characteristic of the Belgian beer landscape
is its diversity, as the Belgian brewers have a long tradition
in brewing a range of beer types. Although lager forms
the largest proportion of total beer consumption ( 81%),
other unique beer styles such as Amber, Abbey, Trappist,
White, Gueuze, Fruit beer or Strong Blond beer and other
regional specialities are also popular in the country and are
exported abroad.
Beer remains among the most popular beverages
in Belgium, even if consumption has been falling in
volume terms over the years. On-trade consumption
has been declining slightly since 2008. Although the
café and bar culture in Belgium remains strong, off-trade
consumption exceeded on-trade sales for the frst time
in years (52% in 2010).
The direct economic impact of the brewing sector
involves 5,107 employees, who together produce beer
worth over 1.83 billion euro. Consequently, the direct
economic beneft of the brewing sector for the Belgian
economy is very signifcant.
9
Beer statistics 2010, Brewers of Europe
›
Graph 9.1. / Direct effect of the beer sector
›
Source : Ernst & Young calculation (2011)
The Contribution made by Beer to the European Economy
60