The brewing sector remains one of the most interesting sectors in the national agri-food landscape, making a significant contribution to the Italian economy despite its dependence on imports for raw materials (hops, in particular).

According to the most recent data, national beer production reached 17.2 million hectoliters in 2024. Although a slight decline of 1.3% compared to the previous year, the figure shows substantial stability, keeping volumes in line with the pre-pandemic period and showing a significantly more modest decline compared to the previous two years.

On the demand side, the market absorbed 21.5 million hectoliters. This is below the all-time high set in 2022, but the medium-term trend remains unmistakable: compared to ten years ago, domestic consumption has grown by 21%. This expansion has allowed Italy to climb the European rankings, ranking fifth in the EU in 2024, surpassing countries with long-standing traditions such as Austria and Ireland. Per capita consumption, at 36.4 liters, also reflects a cultural rooting that has now taken hold, although it remains far from the European average of 53.6 liters. The niche of low-/no-alcohol beers is noteworthy: currently accounting for 2% of the market, they are showing steady growth rates.

Darwinian selection

An analysis of data from the Business Register (ATECO 11.05) marks a watershed moment compared to the medium-term trend. After five years of uninterrupted growth, which even withstood the Covid years, 2024 saw a contraction in the number of manufacturing companies for the first time (-2.5%), down to 1,743 units. This is most likely a phase of physiological selection following the “craft revolution”: the business birth rate has almost halved (from 2.3% to 1.3%), while the death rate has jumped to 6.0%. The market, now saturated and competitive, is pushing out less structured businesses – often born from the passion of homebrewers – lacking the business structure needed to address rising operating costs and market saturation. However, those who survive emerge stronger. While the craft market share remained stable at around 3% of the total (in volume), the breweries that have overcome the critical phase have consolidated their position and, in some cases, increased volumes.

The geography of production and business models

A regional analysis reveals a two-speed Italy. The North maintains numerical leadership and hosts almost half of the businesses (49%), but shows stagnant growth (+0.8% over the five-year period). In contrast, Central and Southern Italy show greater vitality, with growth rates of +6.9% and +4.1%, respectively. Regions such as Sardinia and Umbria record the best relative performances, while Lombardy maintains its overall lead in terms of number of businesses.

A clear distinction also emerges in business models across the country. In the South, a specialization model prevails, where beer production is the primary activity in 81.6% of cases, providing independent income. In the North and Center, however, an integration model is common, where beer production is complemented as a secondary activity (about 32% of cases) by other sectors such as catering or agriculture.

Towards more solid industrial structures

An unmistakable sign of the sector’s maturation and response to the crisis is the evolution of the legal structure. Joint-stock companies are now the predominant form (52.3%), significantly outpacing sole proprietorships and partnerships. In a year of general contraction, joint-stock companies have shown the greatest resilience (-1.8% versus -5% for sole proprietorships), confirming that the market rewards structures with greater financial strength. The entrepreneurial fabric of Southern Italy is particularly advanced, where joint-stock companies outnumber all other legal forms, indicating a clear desire to compete with more robust structures.

The multifunctional nature of the modern Italian brewery is no longer a sign of expansive growth, but rather a strategy of resistance. On the one hand, the connection with the agricultural supply chain is strengthening (affecting 12.6% of operations), supported by a regulatory framework that has favored the development of the agricultural model. On the other, downstream integration – which involves nearly 22% of businesses –demonstrates that tap rooms and brewpubs are by no means recent “phenomena”, but essential infrastructures for bypassing the critical issues of traditional distribution. In a context where access to large-scale retail trade is difficult and the Ho.Re.Ca. channel is insufficient, beer tourism becomes the only way to “sell more and better“. Following the model of wineries, the taproom attached to the brewery emerges as the real lifeline for a sector whose economic viability is currently seriously challenged, despite a superficial narrative that often tends to downplay the sector’s difficulties.

Contribution made within the framework of the CAP Network Programme 2025-2027 (MASAF), executive project CR 03.09 – RURAL IN FOOD