Bulgaria ranks 13th in the European Union in beer production, with breweries producing 442 million liters in 2025, according to data from the Brewers’ Union of Bulgaria. That volume accounts for about 1.3% of total EU beer production and translates into approximately 68.7 liters per person based on the country’s population of about 6.44 million at the end of last year.
Beer production across the European Union reached 34.4 billion liters in 2025, Eurostat data show. That was 0.7% less than in 2024, although production remained 2.2% above the level recorded in 2020.
Bulgaria’s production is modest compared with Europe’s biggest brewing countries, but significant relative to its population. Germany remained the EU’s largest producer, with 7.4 billion liters in 2025, followed by Spain with 5.3 billion liters and Poland with 3.5 billion liters. The Netherlands produced 2.4 billion liters, while France recorded 2.1 billion liters.
Germany’s output was roughly 17 times higher than Bulgaria’s, while Spain produced about 12 times as much and Poland nearly eight times as much. Despite the gap in absolute volumes, Bulgaria was ranked 13th in the EU for both beer production and consumption, according to the Bulgarian industry data.
The domestic market is larger than the country’s production figures alone might suggest. Bulgarians consumed an average of 76 liters of beer per person in 2025, including non-alcoholic beer. That is about seven liters more per person than the amount represented by domestic production when the total is divided across the population.
The difference does not mean that Bulgarians consumed only beer made in Bulgaria. Production and consumption figures reflect wider market flows, including imports and exports. Nevertheless, the figures underline the strength of beer consumption in the domestic market.
The Bulgarian brewing industry itself recorded a decline in output last year. Production volumes fell by 5% compared with 2024, according to the Brewers’ Union. The decrease came as the broader European beer market also recorded a slight contraction.
At the same time, one segment of the Bulgarian market is growing rapidly. Sales of non-alcoholic beer reached 122,780 hectoliters in 2025, representing a 53% increase over the previous year. The trend mirrors a broader shift in European beer consumption, where alcohol-free products are gaining a larger share of the market.
Bulgaria’s brewing sector includes both major producers and a growing number of smaller businesses. There are currently 42 registered beer producers in the country: three large companies, seven small and medium-sized enterprises and 32 microbreweries.
The figures therefore reflect a market that extends well beyond large-scale industrial production, with craft and microbreweries forming a substantial part of the industry. The continued growth of alcohol-free beer is also changing the profile of consumption.
Despite producing far less beer than Germany, Spain or Poland, Bulgaria remains among the EU’s notable producers when its output is considered alongside its population. The country produced 442 million liters in 2025, while annual consumption reached 76 liters per person.
Industry data also show that about three-quarters of Bulgarians drink beer at least once a month. Against the backdrop of a slightly shrinking European market, Bulgaria thus combines a relatively large brewing sector with strong domestic consumption, maintaining its 13th-place position in the EU. (Novinite)