Beer consumption per capita 1953 - 2013

Another in my extra-specially-dull series of table-packed posts. About beer consumption per head, as the title gives away.

It was prompted by this table from “Brewing in Canada”:

PER CAPITA CONSUMPTION OF BEER IN SELECTED COUNTRIES, 1953-1963
Country	1953	1954	1955	1956	1957	1958	1959	1960	1961	1962	1963
Belgium	129.1	131.4	134.6	131.8	132.3	133.7	130.0	130.0	130.0	123.2	115.9
West Germany	57.7	60.0	66.8	72.3	82.7	85.9	91.8	94.6	101.4	107.3	113.7
Australia	95.5	104.6	112.7	108.2	105.0	102.7	101.4	102.3	102.7	102.7	105.0
New Zealand	92.7	94.1	99.6	99.1	102.7	102.7	95.9	101.4	101.4	104.1	100.0
United Kingdom	81.8	78.2	81.8	80.9	80.9	79.1	83.6	85.0	88.6	87.7	87.7
Austria	58.2	60.0	60.5	64.6	70.0	70.0	67.3	71.8	77.3	84.6	86.4
Denmark	68.2	65.9	66.8	63.6	64.1	64.1	69.6	72.3	75.0	75.9	78.2
Switzerland	50.0	50.0	54.1	56.8	60.9	64.1	65.9	60.9	69.1	74.1	76.8
Canada	62.3	58.6	60.9	61.4	61.4	57.3	60.9	60.0	60.5	61.8	62.3
United States	63.2	60.0	60.0	59.6	57.3	56.8	57.7	57.3	56.8	57.3	57.7
France	22.7	24.5	29.1	29.1	32.7	36.8	40.0	38.2	36.8	36.8	36.4
Sweden	28.6	28.6	32.3	30.0	30.0	29.5	31.8	30.9	31.4	30.0	33.2
Netherlands	12.3	14.1	16.8	17.7	20.5	20.5	23.2	23.6	26.4	27.7	31.4
Norway	20.0	20.0	22.7	22.7	22.7	23.2	24.1	24.1	25.9	25.0	26.4
Italy	2.7	3.2	3.6	3.2	3.2	4.1	3.6	4.5	5.5	5.9	6.8
Source:
"Brewing in Canada", Brewers Association of Canada, 1965, page 117.

Surprised at seeing Belgium in first place? I can’t say I am. I know consumption there used to be enormous. The real shock is Holland’s poor showing. It’s odd how Holland only really became a beer-drinking nation in the 1960’s and 1970’s.

Here are the modern numbers for Europe:

Beer consumption per capita 2008 - 2013
Country	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013
Austria	110	107	106	108	108	106
Belgium	82	81	78	78	74	72
Bulgaria	73	67	67	69	73	74
Croatia	85	79	74	86	78	76
Cyprus	58	51	52	51	55	55
Czech Republic	158	159	144	145	148	144
Denmark	78	72	69	68	64	64
Estonia	88	85	78	72	72	73
Finland	85	84	83	85	79	80
France	31	31	31	31	31	30
Germany	111	110	107	107	108	107
Greece	41	39	36	35	35	35
Hungary	72	65	61	60	60	60
Ireland	99	91	90	86	86	79
Italy	29	28	29	30	29	29
Latvia	68	69	70	74	76	78
Lithuania	91	83	90	96	96	93
Luxembourg	94	86	85	85	83	83
Malta	45	47	47	45	48	40
Netherlands	79	73	72	72	72	70
Norway	54	55	56	56	47	48
Poland	94	91	91	95	98	96
Portugal	61	60	59	53	49	49
Romania	99	88	87	84	90	81
Slovakia	81	79	79	73	76	72
Slovenia	93	89	82	81	74	75
Spain	52	51	48	48	48	46
Sweden	52	52	50	51	50	50
Switzerland	58	57	57	58	57	56
Turkey	13	13	12	12	13	12
United Kingdom	84	76	74	74	67	66
Average EU 28	78	75	73	73	72	71
Average All	75	71	70	70	69	68
Source:
"Beer Statistics 2014 edition" The Brewers of Europe, page 14.

The Czechs lead, of course. Good showing from the Austrians, going neck to neck with the Germans.

And here are the tables nailed together:

Beer consumption per capita 1953 - 2013
Country	1953	1963	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	% change 1953 - 2013	% change 1963 - 2013
Belgium	129.1	115.9	82	81	78	78	74	72	-44.23%	-37.89%
West Germany	57.7	113.7	111	110	107	107	108	107	85.33%	-5.85%
Australia	95.5	105.0	108.4	108.0	104.9	100.7	96.5	93.1	-2.49%	-11.36%
New Zealand	92.7	100.0
United Kingdom	81.8	87.7	84	76	74	74	67	66	-19.34%	-24.78%
Austria	58.2	86.4	110	107	106	108	108	106	82.16%	22.72%
Denmark	68.2	78.2	78	72	69	68	64	64	-6.15%	-18.15%
Switzerland	50.0	76.8	58	57	57	58	57	56	11.98%	-27.11%
Canada	62.3	62.3	84.6	83.2	81.4	79.6	78.9	76.7	23.13%	23.13%
United States	63.2	57.7	82.2	79.8	78.4	76.9
France	22.7	36.4	31	31	31	31	31	30	31.98%	-17.51%
Sweden	28.6	33.2	52	52	50	51	50	50	74.58%	50.66%
Netherlands	12.3	31.4	79	73	72	72	72	70	470.29%	123.16%
Norway	20.0	26.4	54	55	56	56	47	48	139.97%	82.04%
Italy	2.7	6.8	29	28	29	30	29	29	963.18%	325.27%
Sources:
"Beer Statistics 2014 edition" The Brewers of Europe, page 14.
"Brewers' Almanac 2013 edition, page 24.
Australian Bureau of Statistics http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/4307.0.55.001main+features42012-13
Annual Statistical Bulletin, Beer Canada, page 10.

Interesting that the four bottom countries in the first table are some of the few to have shown growth 1953 to 2013. Though in the last five years beer consumption has fallen everywhere in Europe, except for Italy, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland.

That’s me done. I might dig out the numbers for intervening years. If arsing allows.