Number of breweries in Europe 1956 - 2014

Given the popularity of my post about the expanding number of breweries in Europe, I thought I'd expand the table by moving backwards in time.

Only four countries had fewer breweries in 2014 than in 1956: Belgium, Denmark, Germany and Luxemburg. For Denmark it's a tiny difference - just five breweries - and Luxemburg is an odd case, being so small. Which leaves just Belgium and Germany, both of which have about a third of the breweries they did 60 years ago. I have to admit, it makes the situation in Germany look much worse than the 2009 to 2014 figures.

I can see four scenarios:

1. Countries that have returned to around the number of breweries they had in 1956. Sweden and the Czech Republic demonstrate this.

2. Countries with far more breweries than in 1956, but still fewer than the historic high point. Examples are the UK, The Netherlands, Ireland, Austria, Slovakia, France and Norway.

3. Countries with far more breweries than in 1956 and more than ever previously. Examples are France, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland. Note that all of these (including Switzerland) are traditionally wine-drinking countries.

4. Countries with fewer breweries than in 1956.  Examples are Belgium, Germany and Luxemburg.

Number of breweries in Europe 1956 - 2014
Country	1956	1976	1980	1985	1990	1995	2000	2004	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014
Austria	98	-	59	55	60	74	106	145	172	172	170	173	194	198
Belgium	563	-	143	-	126	115	113	119	127	135	123	150	160	168
Czechoslovakia	330	96	95	-	-	n/a	n/a	-
Czech Republic		80	-	-	-	86	75	94	133	151	191	213	308	338
Slovakia		16	16	16	-	15	12	19	15	19	25	30	38	44
Denmark	155	24	-	-	-	-	-	34	N/A	N/A	150	150	150	150
France	390	55	-	-	-	-	-	-	322	387	442	503	580	663
Germany	3,218	n/a	1,516	-	1,329	1,243	1,279	1,274	1,331	1,333	1,347	1,340	1,349	1,352
Greece	3	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	11	11	17	18	20	20
Ireland	14	7	7	9	7	9	17	18	26	26	26	26	30	50
Italy	32	-	-	-	-	-	-	168	256	308	350	421	509	599
Lithuania						-	-	-	49	41	73	73	73	75
Luxemburg	11	-	-	-	-	5	5	-	6	7	7	7	7	7
Netherlands	48	20	19	25	30	44	-	65	N/A	N/A	125	165	N/A	263
Norway	25	17	-	-	-	-	-	-	22	30	33	40	54	77
Portugal	4	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	7	7	9	10	18	35
Roumania	19	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	21	18	17	17	18	22
Spain	40	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	47	65	88	132	221	332
Sweden	130	25	-	-	-	-	-	28	30	45	65	75	100	151
Switzerland	58	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	280	328	360	375	409	483
United Kingdom	404	142	191	305	279	481	500	519	745	828	948	1,300	1,490	1,700
Sources:
Ceský svaz pivovarù a sladoven
Die Deutsche Brauwirtschaft in Zahlen, 1994
Unser Bier, Conrad Seidl, 1991, 1995, 1996
Het Brouwersblad June 2004. p.6
Zythos (thanks Casimir!)
Brauwelt nr. 6-7 February 2001
Deutscher Brauer-Bund, Bonn
Tim Webb's calculation
Almanach für das deutsche Brauwesen 1957, pages 54 and 55
Brewers Association
BBPA Statistical Handbook 2003, p. 92
my calculation
2009 - 2014: The Brewers of Europe Beer Statistics 2015 edition, page 21.

I'm still far from convinced that Germany is taking full part in Europe's brewing renaissance.