Croatia: Craft beer accounts for 1.5% of Croatia’s beer market

There are about 40 craft breweries in Croatia, with a market share of about 1.5%, the Total Croatia News reported on August 21.

The brewing industry in Croatia, directly and indirectly, employs around 28,000 people.

There are six major industrial breweries in the country, but there is also a growing trend of small craft breweries. New products raise the image and value of the overall sector, which strengthens the potential of small and medium-size enterprises and ultimately results in rising employment trends in the food industry.

According to the Croatian Chamber of Commerce (HGK), Croatia is at the 20th position in the EU by beer consumption. When foreign tourists’ “contribution” is taken into account, it reaches the eighth position. Although Croatia is not usually perceived as a traditional beer country, the data of the HGK’s Brewery Association show that Croatians increasingly appreciate higher-quality beers.

With an annual production of 3.4 mln hl of beer, Croatia is ranked 22nd in the European Union. However, according to the HGK’s analysts, the total annual consumption of beer in the country, including consumption by foreign tourists, is about 80 litres per capita, and Croatia is therefore at the eighth position in the EU. Without tourists, the beer consumption would amount to about 64 litres per capita, with Croatia being ranked 20th.