Romania: Beer market stabilizes in 2024

After three consecutive years of decline, the Romanian beer market stabilized at 15 million hectolitres in 2024, according to The Brewers of Romania, which represents 90% of the local market. Despite a challenging economic landscape, member contributions to the state budget increased by 15% last year compared to 2023, reaching EUR 356 million, Business Review reported on April 1.

“The market decline that began in 2021 has come to a halt—at least for now. However, 2024 was another year of resilience for the industry: the beer market managed to stay above a threshold we consider critical—15 million hectolitres of production. This milestone is even more significant as The Brewers of Romania marks its 20th anniversary in 2025. With an annual contribution of 3 billion euros to GDP, validated by globally recognized economists, the Romanian beer sector—like the business environment as a whole—needs stability, predictability, and fair treatment. This isn’t just about our industry, but about the broader impact we have on the economy and local communities, where beer production and its supply chain support over 60,000 jobs,” said Mihai Voicu, President of The Brewers of Romania and General Manager of Bergenbier S.A.

Deliveries of non-alcoholic beer by Romanian producers increased by 15% last year compared to 2023, surpassing a 6% market share for the first time. Within this segment, beer mixes and flavored beers saw a 21% rise in deliveries. By packaging type, draft beer recorded the highest growth, with deliveries increasing by 13% compared to 2023, while PET packaging continued to decline, dropping by 4%. Bottled beer deliveries remained steady, while canned beer deliveries rose by 9% year-over-year.

“If we look at a map of Romania and the distribution of breweries by county, beer production plays a crucial role in local economies across nearly three-quarters (75%) of the country. Beer is one of the few industries with a truly national footprint, with production facilities in 30 of Romania’s 41 counties. It’s not just Bucharest, Ploiești, Timișoara, Iași, Brașov, or Cluj-Napoca—beer is also brewed in places like Poiana Mărului, Mărginimea Sibiului, and Măneciu-Ungureni. After 20 years of The Brewers of Romania, we can confidently say that the Romanian beer sector is truly national—not just in terms of consumption, with 97% of beer coming from domestic production, but also in terms of its widespread production network,” said Constantin Bratu, General Manager of The Brewers of Romania.

At the end of 2024, Romania had 89 beer-producing units and microbreweries, eight fewer than the previous year.

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