China: The Chinese surpassed the first time the US as the world’s top beer guzzler, a global survey by the Japanese beer maker Kirin Brewery said. Chinese drinkers consumed nearly 25 billion litres (6.6 billion gallons) in 2003, accounting for 17.3% of the world’s beer consumption of 144 billion litres. On the other hand, the US accounted for 16.5%, said the study by Kirin Brewery.

Increasing incomes saw the Chinese drink 6.4% more beer in 2003, while the consumption in the US fell 0.4% in 2003 against 2002, the survey said. “The growing middle class in China was the main factor behind the increasing beer consumption,” said Hiroki Umezawa, Kirin’s 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 litres of beer per capita in 2003 compared with 81.6 litres 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 litres in 2003, followed by the Irish, who drank 135.7 litres, the spokesperson said.

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

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