Australia: Beer segment grew 0.9% annually between 2020 and 2025, study finds

The segment of manufacturing concerning beer is worth A$8.7 billion and grew 0.9 per cent annually between 2020 and 2025, according to newly-published market research, Australian Manufacturing Forum reported on February 11.

IBISWorld’s recently-updated Beer Manufacturing in Australia – Market Research Report (2015-2030) describes the level of competition as high and increasing.

The total number of beer makers has increased at nearly 8 per cent annually, and now stands at 878, the report found.

Consumers are drinking less by volume, though revenue has grown as a result of increasing demand for higher-priced craft beer, which is outpacing other types. Other categories include light, mid-strength, premium, and low-carbohydrate beers.

“Major brewers Asahi and Lion are capitalising on this by expanding their craft beer portfolios through acquisitions and significant marketing investments, as seen in Lion’s 2021 acquisition of Fermentum” explains a summary of the report.

Figures released in October 2023 by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare found that Australian consumption of beer per capita was 82 litres in 2019-2020, compared to 190 litres per capita in 1974-75.

Though craft beers are driving the overall revenue growth of the national beer making sector, the best-selling segment remains “classic full-strength beers”, which are “non-craft, non-international beers” with an alcohol by volume level of 3.5 per cent or above, for example Victoria Bitter, XXXX Gold and Carlton Draught.

Most breweries are based in New South Wales and Victoria, the two most populous states. This is described as unsurprising “as businesses try to stay close to their consumer base.”

The three leading brewers by revenue are Asahi Holdings (A$3.1 billion), Lion (A$1.8 billion) and Coopers Brewery (A$187 million.)

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