The forecasts, released by data and insight analysts at the IWSR, have predicted 10 years of steady growth and align with the company’s 2024 industry forecast which showed a mixed year amidst a challenging political and economic landscape.
According to the findings, global beverage alcohol volume was down 1% but value was up 1%. Looking more closely, several developing markets for beverage alcohol posted strong growth during 2024. Most notably, India added 6% in total beverage alcohol volume and 9% in total beverage alcohol value. Growth was evident across all categories, but most notably in beer and whisky.
Total beverage alcohol in Brazil grew just over 1% by volume in 2024 but value surged by 5%. Growing sectors included premium beer, RTDs and brandy. Meanwhile, South Africa posted even stronger figures, with 2024 total beverage alcohol volume up by 3% and value up 10%. This growth, according to the data, was driven largely by beer and RTDs, including wine-based RTDs, which the analysts highlighted had become a more fashionable and affordable alternative to traditional wine.
In terms of global trends, non-alcoholic drinks continued to display strong growth in 2024, showing how the category has taken off. Non-alcoholic beer volume was up 9%, and IWSR now forecasts that it will surpass ale to become the second largest overall beer category by volume worldwide this year.
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