Romania: Beer market up 3% in volume terms last year

Romania’s beer market increased by 3% in volume terms to 16.6 million hectolitres in 2018, while the consumption of beer per capita reached 85 litres, according to the Association of Romanian Brewers (ABR).

Sales of alcohol-free beer posted an impressive increase of about 30% while the volume of PET-bottled beer shrunk again dropping below 50% of the total market.

Local beer production accounts for 97% of sales, and the ABR claims that the beer industry generates more than 85,000 jobs, directly and indirectly, while the members of the association contributed EUR 255 million to the state budget last year.

ABR includes five large beer producers in Romania and a micro-brewery which together provide over 85% of the volume of beer consumed in the country.

The alcohol-free beer segment grew by about 30%, reaching 1.87% of the market. In terms of packaging types, Romanian consumers preferred glass-bottled beer, which reached 28.45% of the total volume, and metal dose beer - 20.58%. PET beer sales declined, dropping for the first time under 50% of the market volume.