Sobriety or Poverty? Why Beer Consumption Has Decreased in Latvia 0 11

On one hand, there are climatic anomalies and global instability, which have caused prices for malt and hops to soar.

On the other hand, there is the rising cost of energy resources, packaging, and logistics chains. The issue of staffing also plays a significant role: the costs of maintaining personnel continue to grow.

Additionally, bottle returns – despite overall support for the deposit system, participation in it has become more expensive for businesses since January 1. The changes have hit hardest those who use reusable glass of universal design – here the rate has increased by 16.5%. For single-use glass and individual containers, the increase was 0.8% and 4.5%, respectively.

The final touch in the spring price hikes will be the increase in excise duty starting March 1, which will lead to further price increases and, evidently, deter some buyers.

Statistics from the State Revenue Service confirm that interest in beer in Latvia is waning. Over the first 10 months of 2025, production volumes fell by 7.5% (to 61.1 million liters). Real consumption in the domestic market dropped by 6.4%, while export figures plummeted by 37.1%.

Liniņš attributes this to changing habits among Latvians, high sensitivity to prices, and fierce competition from other beverages.