Global beer volumes fell 3.1% in 2025 – yet inside Asia, several brewers are charting a different course, with some recording impressive gains even as the broader market softens.
BarthHaas, the Nuremberg-based hop supplier, has released its annual Top 40 Breweries report, providing a detailed look at how the world’s largest brewing groups performed through 2025. In total, the Top 40 produced around 1,586 million hectoliters (mhl) of beer – a 3.1% decline year-on-year, continuing a trend that has now played out over three consecutive years.
While the global picture reflects a market navigating real headwinds, the data from Asia tells a more varied story and for brewers across the region, there are some genuinely encouraging data points alongside areas to watch closely.
Stability at the summit
AB InBev holds the number one position with 484.19 mhl, followed by Heineken at 235.65 mhl. China Resources Snow Breweries remains in third place and stands out as one of the few positive performers among the upper rankings, growing 1.4% to 110.30 mhl.
Together, these three companies account for more than half of total Top 40 output – a concentration of volume that underlines just how significant the Chinese mass-market segment remains to the global picture.
Yanjing’s leap
The standout figure for Asian brewers this year belongs to China’s Yanjing Brewery, which grew from 40.00 mhl to 46.00 mhl – a 15.0% jump moving it up from 9th to 8th in the global rankings. It is a result that demonstrates how focused brand investment and distribution strength can generate real volume momentum even in a softer overall market.
Germany’s Paulaner Gruppe posted the second-highest growth rate in the entire list at +14.8%, while Snow’s steady growth in third position reinforces the ongoing appeal of well-positioned, accessible lager in China’s domestic market.
Southeast Asia: a market in transition
Across Southeast Asia, the picture is more mixed. Vietnam’s Saigon Beverage Corporation (SABECO) recorded a 5.1% decline to 13.00 mhl – a result that reflects a particularly challenging operating environment in the country. Stricter government enforcement of drink-driving laws has had a measurable impact on on-premise consumption, while in 2025 Vietnam’s National Assembly approved a plan to progressively raise excise taxes on beer from the current rate of 65% up to 90% by 2031. ABN covered the details of Vietnam’s long-term alcohol tax increases in depth last year, and the effects are already beginning to show in volume figures.
In Thailand, Singha Beer edged down 1.0% and ThaiBev (Chang Beer) saw a steeper 11.1% fall to 8.00 mhl. South Korea’s HiteJinro also slipped 7.4% to 5.00 mhl.
San Miguel Corporation in the Philippines remained relatively steady, down just 0.6% to 17.90 mhl – a performance that speaks to the strength of its domestic position and long-established brand loyalty.
Against this backdrop, BarthHaas has also released its latest 2025 Inspiration Range — a collection of recipes and product concepts that reflects the hop specialist’s response to a shifting global landscape, offering brewers fresh directions across premium, flavoured, and lower-alcohol styles.
Portfolio diversification moving up the agenda
Non-alcoholic and low-alcohol beer continues to gain traction across the Top 40, with BarthHaas noting it sits firmly on the strategic agenda of the major groups. For brewers in Asia who may be considering exploring this space, BarthHaas’s detailed white paper on flavour optimisation in alcohol-free and low-alcohol beers offers a practical technical starting point, addressing the way the hop science involved differs from conventional brewing.
Across the Top 40 more broadly, it is clear that brewers finding ways to add value through premiumisation, flavour innovation, and adjacent beverage categories are better placed to navigate the current environment than those relying on volume alone. Yanjing’s performance this year is a useful reminder that growth is still very much possible – the routes to it are simply becoming more specific.
Full report due in July
The complete BarthHaas Report 2025/2026, which will include a full analysis of global hop market trends alongside the brewery rankings, is due for publication on 21 July, more information will be available on the official Barth Haas website. For brewers planning raw material procurement or reviewing ingredient strategy heading into the 2026/2027 season, the hop market sections are likely to be particularly relevant given the volume shifts recorded across key producing regions this year.
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