Slovenia’s beer trade on the rise

Ljubljana – Beer lovers, brewers, hop growers and pub owners will celebrate International Beer Day on Friday. Last year, there were 68 companies in Slovenia with beer production as their main activity, compared to only 12 in 2010, according to the Statistics Office. According to 2018 data, Slovenians consume 26 litres of beer at home on average per year.

Slovenia’s beer exports surpassed imports last year. According to the statisticians, Slovenia exported EUR 44.7 million worth of beer, the most in 10 years, with imports standing at EUR 26.2 million.

In value terms, Slovenia’s beer exports were up 19% compared to 2019, while imports were down 3%. Most of the exports went to Croatia (27%), followed by Italy (21%) and Bosnia and Herzegovina (21%). Meanwhile, the most imports came from Austria (40%), Croatia (21%) and the Czech Republic (9%).

The beer trade is at its busiest in the summer months of June, July and August. In 2020, Slovenia exported 44% of its total annual beer exports during these months (with July being the peak month) and imported 33% of its total annual beer imports.

Beer prices have not changed significantly in Slovenia over the last ten years, either in restaurants or in shops. Last year, the average price of a pint of light beer in a pub was EUR 2.93. In shops, the average price of a pint of beer made in Slovenia was EUR 0.88.

Slovenia is one of the EU’s largest hop producers after Germany and the Czech Republic. In 2020, Slovenia produced 2.723 tonnes of hops (up 6%), even though the growing area was 8% smaller than in 2019, as the hops were cultivated on 1,489 hectares.

As is the case with beer, Slovenia is primarily an export-oriented country, exporting most of the hops it produces. Last year, most hops were exported to Germany, accounting for 37% of the total.

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