10/11/2026

Excluding US & China, alcohol consumption grows in H1 2026

IWSR releases H1 2026 consumption data for 21 key markets

10 November 2026 (London) – IWSR’s H1 2026 data for 21 key markets, covering 76% of global beverage alcohol consumption, reveals a growing separation in consumption between the world’s two largest markets and the rest of the world.

From H1 2025 to H1 2026, total beverage alcohol (TBA) consumption volume dropped -1% across all 21 markets combined. With the US and China excluded from the total, however, strong growth in Brazil, India, Colombia, South Africa and the UK are sufficient to push total volume consumption into positive territory at +1%.

US and China market declines

In the US, TBA consumption declined -4% from H1 2025 to H1 2026, led by declines in beer (-4%), still wine (-6%) and RTDs (-4%). China saw a similar decline in TBA consumption of -3%, led by beer (-2%), still wine (-9%) and an especially steep decline in national spirits (-12%).

Growth in Brazil, India, Colombia, South Africa and the UK

Outside the world’s two largest markets, H1 2026 results were more positive for beverage alcohol. TBA in India grew by +10% volume from H1 2025, led by full strength beer (+16%), RTDs (+12%) and Indian whisky (+4%). In Brazil, TBA volume grew +3% led by full-strength alcohol beer (+3%), no-alcohol beer (+11%) and RTDs (+9%). In Colombia, TBA volume grew +9%, led by full-strength beer (+8%), no-alcohol beer (+11%) and RTDs (an astonishing +110%). TBA volume in South Africa grew by +5%, led by full-strength beer (+5%), RTDs (+4%), and still wine (+3%).

Global volumes were also shored up by a strong performance in the UK, with TBA growing +2%, led by full-strength beer (+2%), no-alcohol beer (+22%) and RTDs (+25%).

Additional divergence at the category level

Similar divergence in consumption emerged at the category level in H1 2026, with three categories in particular driving the bulk of decline in volume terms from H1 2025. These were full-strength beer (down <1% but especially impactful as the largest global category), still wine (down -4%) and national spirits (down -11%). Categories which grew in volume across the 21 markets include no-alcohol beer (+8%), Indian whisky (+4%) and prosecco (+3%).

H1 2026 represents an improvement over H1 2025

While the -1% year-on-year change for TBA volume across the 21 markets still represents a meaningful decline for the industry, it is nevertheless a significant improvement over the H1 2024 to H1 2025 volume decline of -2%. This relative upswing is driven by the 7 markets reporting year-on-year growth (Brazil, Mexico, India, United Kingdom, South Africa, Colombia and Thailand), and a further 6 markets reporting smaller declines than last year (Germany, Japan, Italy, France, Poland and Australia). 3 markets declined at similar levels to H1 2025 (Spain, Taiwan and the US) and only 5 markets saw worsening decline (China, Russia, Canada, the Philippines and the Netherlands).

Market forces

Continued moderation trends and the growth of GLP-1 usage are putting pressure on beverage alcohol consumption globally, but these factors alone are not sufficient to explain the especially large declines in the US and China. After decades of rapid economic expansion, China is grappling with slower growth projections and structural headwinds, including a prolonged property crisis and an aging population. Meanwhile, the impact of tariffs, inflationary pressure and economic uncertainty have weighed disproportionately on US consumers.

Quote

Speaking about the H1 2026 data, IWSR President and Managing Director Marten Lodewijks says: “Global beverage alcohol consumption fractured from both market and category perspectives during the first half of 2026. Moderation is becoming a structural feature, but strong growth is persisting in several key markets like India and Brazil. Likewise, while larger, legacy categories like still wine and full-strength beer have kept TBA volumes negative, this has been somewhat offset in most markets by RTD and no-alcohol beer growth.

“The global beverage alcohol market has never been uniform, but this most recent data points to a growing disconnect between American and Chinese consumers and the rest of the world. This creates challenges for the industry, as these are its two largest markets by volume and value.”

About IWSR: For over 50 years, IWSR has been trusted by the leaders of global beverage alcohol businesses as an integral part of their strategic planning and decision-making processes. We uniquely combine proprietary longitudinal market data, consumer insights and AI-enhanced data science, with valuable on-the-ground human intelligence in 160 markets worldwide, to decipher what is really happening in the global beverage alcohol market. With access to our data, clients from across the drinks industry, including multinational spirits, beer, and wine businesses; packaging and ingredient manufacturers; distributors; and financial institutions, plan their strategies and future investment with a reliable, consistent and complete understanding of the global landscape.

Notes to Journalists

Where appropriate, please cite “IWSR, the global leader in beverage alcohol data and insights.”

The 21 markets included in IWSR’s H1 2026 data are: Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Poland, Russia, Spain, South Africa, Taiwan, Thailand, the UK and the US.

For questions or interview requests, please contact:

Ned Vaught

ned.vaught@theiwsr.com

+44 (0) 7969 794568