Italian beer consumption falls to 35.9 litres as low- and no-alcohol segment grows 85%
Italy’s beer consumption declined 2.4% to 35.9 litres per person in 2025, while low- and no-alcohol beer expanded its share from 2.1% to 3.9%. Lager and Pils remain dominant in hospitality, but local craft beer and food pairing are gaining relevance.
Consumption declines as alcohol-free beer expands
Italy’s beer market is changing faster in product mix than in total volume. Per-capita consumption fell 2.4% to 35.9 litres in 2025, according to Assobirra data reported by Italia a Tavola. At the same time, low- and no-alcohol beer increased its market share from 2.1% to 3.9%, an 85% rise in one year. The category remains small, but it recorded the strongest movement in the market.
Demand for these products is particularly visible in northern Italy. Low- and no-alcohol beer accounts for 16% of requests in hospitality venues there, compared with a national average of 10%. The figures indicate that falling overall consumption does not necessarily mean weaker demand across every category: consumers are shifting toward products suited to different occasions and lower alcohol intake.
Lager leads, while local craft beer gains space
Lager and Pils remain the core of the out-of-home market. In an Ipsos Doxa survey for Assobirra, 56% of hospitality managers identified them as the most requested styles, rising to 69% in evening venues. Local craft beer reached 36%, including 49% in hotels. Special or fruit beers stood at 21%, while IPA accounted for 14%.
The survey covered 210 managers of hotels, restaurants, pizzerias, trattorias, bars, evening venues and pubs between 20 December 2025 and 19 January 2026. Dinner was the main beer-drinking occasion for 59% of respondents. Lunch and the aperitif each reached 41%, although the aperitif rose to 67% in bars and evening venues.
Food pairing is becoming more influential. Some 63% of managers said customers select beer for a specific dish, with the share rising to 73% in restaurants and trattorias. However, operators remain cautious about expanding their ranges. Only 10% introduced new beer references during the previous year, while 74% described customers as relatively conservative in their choices.
Hospitality sees opportunity but faces operating constraints
Draft beer illustrates the gap between customer experience and commercial availability. Although 52% of managers consider draft service important or very important to a positive experience, only 38% of venues offer it. Insufficient demand was cited as an obstacle by 28% of respondents, alongside the complexity of managing draft systems.
Sustainability also influences assortment decisions, although adoption is uneven. It was considered relevant by 38% of managers. Separate waste collection was the most common measure, used by 60% of venues, while one in five had no beer-specific sustainability practices.
Italy remains below Europe’s largest per-capita markets
Kirin Holdings data underline Italy’s distance from Europe’s highest-consuming beer markets. The Czech Republic leads globally at 148.8 litres per person annually, followed by Lithuania at 110.6 litres and Austria at 104.6 litres. Ireland records 99 litres, Croatia 95.1 litres and Germany, ranked tenth, 86.9 litres. Italy is outside the global top 35 on a per-capita basis, but ranked 16th by total volume, consuming 2.177 million hectolitres in 2024, up 0.9%.
The Italian market is therefore stable in broad volume terms but increasingly segmented. Low- and no-alcohol beer offers the clearest growth signal, while local craft products and food-led consumption provide additional openings for brewers and hospitality operators. Lager and Pils still control mainstream demand, and conservative purchasing behaviour means new products must secure clear placement, suitable occasions and reliable turnover.
