10-Year Production Trajectory: Rising Stars & Fading Producers
Across the EU-27, total hops production moved from 57.9 thousand tonnes in 2016 to 60.6 thousand tonnes in 2024 — a net gain of 2.7 thousand tonnes (+4.7%), equivalent to a 0.57% CAGR. The decade low came in 2022 at 47.6 thousand tonnes, when Germany's output dropped by more than a quarter, and the decade high was 64.2 thousand tonnes in 2021. The ten-year period captured both boom seasons and sharp contractions, revealing a market where weather-driven swings are the norm rather than the exception.
Germany, which averaged 42.0 thousand tonnes per year over the decade, posted the strongest growth among major producers at a 5.63% CAGR. Production climbed from 28.4 thousand tonnes in 2015 to 46.5 thousand tonnes in 2024 — a net addition of 18.1 thousand tonnes (+63.7%). The 2022 season saw a sharp contraction to 34.4 thousand tonnes, representing a 28% single-year drop from 2021, but the trajectory recovered strongly in subsequent years, regaining 12.1 thousand tonnes by 2024.
Czechia followed with a 3.31% CAGR, adding 1.7 thousand tonnes (+34.1%), though its output swung between a low of 4.5 thousand tonnes in 2022 and a high of 8.3 thousand tonnes in 2021 — a pattern of volatility typical of the sector. Poland expanded at a 2.80% CAGR (+0.7 thousand tonnes, +28.3%), while Spain and France recorded moderate growth at 2.36% and 1.42% CAGR respectively.
Austria was the only producer classified as Stable (0.72% CAGR), while Romania was the sole Declining producer with a -4.17% CAGR, its output falling from 0.22 thousand tonnes to 0.15 thousand tonnes (-31.8%).
All values in 1 000 t. b = break in series.
| Country | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | CAGR | Net Change (1 000 t) | Trajectory |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | 28.4 | 42.8 | 41.6 | 41.8 | 48.5 | 46.9 | 47.9 | 34.4 | 41.2 | 46.5 | +5.63% | +18.1 | Ascending |
| Czechia | 4.8 | 7.7 | 6.8 | 5.1 | 7.2 | 5.9 | 8.3 | 4.5 | 7.0 | 6.5 | +3.31% | +1.7 | Ascending |
| Poland | 2.3 | 2.0 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 3.8 | 3.6 | 3.1 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 3.0 | +2.80% | +0.7 | Ascending |
| Slovenia | 2.1 | 2.5 | 2.2 | 3.1 | 2.6 | 2.7 | 2.2 | 2.3 | 2.7 | 2.3 | +1.03% | +0.2 | Ascending |
| Spain | 0.9 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 0.9 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 1.1 | +2.36% | +0.2 | Ascending |
| France | 0.6 | 0.9 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 0.8b | 0.9 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 0.7 | +1.42% | +0.1 | Ascending |
| Austria | 0.3 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.3 | +0.72% | +0.0 | Stable |
| Romania | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.1 | -4.17% | -0.1 | Declining |
| EU-27 | N/A | 57.9 | 55.8 | 55.6 | 64.6 | 61.9 | 64.2 | 47.6 | 56.8 | 60.6 | +0.57% | +2.7 | Stable |
Supply Stability Scorecard: Reliability Rankings
Volume leadership and supply reliability are distinct attributes in EU hops production. Ranking the eight major producers by coefficient of variation — where a lower CV means steadier year-to-year output — reveals a tight cluster with all countries falling in the moderately stable range (CV 10–20%).
Spain is the most reliable supplier (CV 11.82%, rank 1), despite ranking only fifth by total volume. Its worst single-year drawdown was -26.8%, narrower than most peers. Slovenia follows closely (CV 12.39%, rank 2), with the second-lowest max drawdown at -19.5%. Germany, the volume leader, ranks third (CV 14.39%) with a max drawdown of -28.2%, reflecting the production crash of 2022.
At the more volatile end, Czechia (CV 18.88%, rank 7) and France (CV 19.07%, rank 8) showed the highest variability. Czechia's max drawdown of -46.5% — the steepest of any producer — illustrates how even a top-three volume supplier can experience severe year-to-year swings. France's volatility was compounded by a 34.6% drawdown and a break-in-series flag in 2020.
CV < 10% = Very stable; CV 10–20% = Moderately stable; CV > 20% = Volatile.
| Country | Mean (1 000 t) | CV% | Max Drawdown% | Years Below Mean | Stability Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spain | 0.98 | 11.82% | -26.80% | 6 | 1 |
| Slovenia | 2.46 | 12.39% | -19.49% | 5 | 2 |
| Germany | 42.00 | 14.39% | -28.18% | 5 | 3 |
| Romania | 0.19 | 16.72% | -42.86% | 4 | 4 |
| Austria | 0.42 | 16.78% | -24.00% | 4 | 5 |
| Poland | 3.11 | 17.62% | -15.95% | 4 | 6 |
| Czechia | 6.38 | 18.88% | -46.45% | 4 | 7 |
| France | 0.79 | 19.07% | -34.55% | 6 | 8 |
Land Allocation Shift: 10-Year Cropland Transformation
The land dedicated to hops tells a story of steady expansion across nearly the entire EU. EU-27 harvested hops area grew from 28.4 thousand hectares in 2016 to 30.7 thousand hectares in 2024 — a net gain of 2.3 thousand hectares (+8.1%). The EU low came in 2017 at 29.6 thousand hectares, and the high was 31.2 thousand hectares in 2023.
Germany, which accounts for roughly two-thirds of EU hops area, expanded its acreage from 18.4 thousand hectares in 2015 to 20.5 thousand hectares in 2024 — a net gain of 2.1 thousand hectares (+11.4%, 1.21%/yr). France recorded the fastest area growth rate (3.12%/yr), expanding from 0.44 thousand hectares in 2015 to 0.58 thousand hectares in 2024 (+31.8%). Spain followed at 2.51%/yr (+25.0%), and Slovenia at 1.83%/yr (+17.7%). Poland's acreage grew 1.60%/yr (+15.3%), while Czechia expanded more modestly at 0.54%/yr (+5.0%). Austria expanded at 1.27%/yr.
Romania was the sole contracting producer, its hops area declining at -1.01%/yr, from 0.23 thousand hectares in 2015 to 0.21 thousand hectares in 2024 (-8.7%), matching its production decline. The production-to-area growth gap was widest in Germany (+4.42 percentage points) and narrowest in Slovenia (-0.80 percentage points), where area actually grew faster than output.
All values in 1 000 ha. b = break in series.
| Country | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | Net Change (1 000 ha) | Growth Rate | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | 18.4 | 18.7 | 19.6 | 20.5 | 20.3 | 20.6 | 20.9 | 19.9 | 20.9 | 20.5 | +2.1 | +1.21% | Expanding |
| Czechia | 4.6 | 4.8 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 4.9 | 4.9 | 4.8 | +0.2 | +0.54% | Expanding |
| Poland | 1.5 | 1.2 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 1.7 | +0.2 | +1.60% | Expanding |
| Slovenia | 1.4 | 1.5 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 1.6 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 1.7 | +0.2 | +1.83% | Expanding |
| Spain | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.7 | +0.1 | +2.51% | Expanding |
| France | 0.4 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.6b | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.6 | +0.1 | +3.12% | Expanding |
| Austria | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | +0.0 | +1.27% | Expanding |
| Romania | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | -0.0 | -1.01% | Contracting |
| EU-27 | N/A | 28.4 | 29.6 | 30.7 | 30.6 | 30.8 | 31.1 | 30.0 | 31.2 | 30.7 | +2.3 | +0.97% | Expanding |
Frequently Asked Questions
Which EU country increased hops production the most from 2015 to 2024?
Germany grew fastest in absolute and relative terms, with a 5.63% CAGR and a net gain of 18.1 thousand tonnes (+63.7%), rising from 28.4 thousand tonnes in 2015 to 46.5 thousand tonnes in 2024. Romania was the only producer to decline, falling -31.8% at a -4.17% CAGR.
Which country is the most stable hops supplier in the EU?
Spain ranked as the most stable producer, with the lowest coefficient of variation (11.82%) and a maximum single-year drawdown of -26.8%. Slovenia ranked second (CV 12.39%), while France showed the highest variability (CV 19.07%).
Is EU hops farmland expanding or shrinking?
EU-27 harvested hops area expanded by 2.3 thousand hectares (+8.1%) between 2016 and 2024, with every major producer except Romania increasing its acreage. France posted the fastest area growth (3.12%/yr), while Romania's hops area contracted at -1.01%/yr.
Source data extracted from Eurostat dataset apro_cpsh1.
This article was generated using AI. The content is based on Eurostat data and is provided as a starting point — please verify all data with the original source.
