In 2023, 11 percent less beer was sold in Hungary than the previous year

According to the Association of Brewers, the price of beer rose by an average of 12.7 percent last year, which is significantly lower than the price increase of most food. Despite this, consumers bought less beer, which also exceeded the decline following the coronavirus epidemic. Among the beers sold, mid-range products continue to dominate the market, while the demand for premium beers has decreased less.

Hungarian craft breweries experienced a difficult period during the pandemic, but with the improvement of the economic situation, they started to grow again. Budapest has become one of the centers of craft beers, where the number of breweries has increased from six in 2009 to 56 in 2022. Despite this, small-scale breweries still struggle to gain market share, as large factories have long-term contracts with restaurants that exclude products from other distributors.