German beer sales plummeted by a record 6% in 2025, as many consumers continued to cut back, while others increasingly turn to alcohol-free options, according to official figures released on Monday.

German breweries sold some 7.8 billion litres of alcoholic beer last year, the lowest figure since records began in 1993, the Federal Statistical Office said.

The figures don’t include alcohol-free variants, which have become increasingly popular in the beer-loving nation as younger people in particular put greater emphasis on a healthier lifestyle.

German beer sales have been in decline for for years, with the 2025 level significantly below sales in the pandemic years of 2020 and 2021, when access to restaurants and bars was severely restricted to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

The German Brewers Federation DBB also noted a poor consumer climate.

“Like retailers and restaurants, breweries are feeling the effects of massive consumer restraint,” DBB director Holger Eichele said.

The situation in the restaurant industry remains worrying, with many businesses still struggling to recover from the pandemic, he added.

Some 82.5% of German-made beer was sold on the domestic market, a decline in volume of 5.8% compared to the previous year.

Another 17.5% was sold abroad or went to brewery staff – and therefore not subjected to domestic sales tax – marking a reduction of 7%.

dpa