Slow growth in India & China pulls down spirits industry globally

Global spirits sales increased by a marginal 0.1 per cent to 3.09 billion nine-litre cases in 2013 over 2012, according to the latest IWSR research. This represents a dramatic slowdown from the 6.5 per cent compound annual growth (CAGR) seen between 2007 and 2011. This was chiefly attributable to a big slowdown in the growth of local spirits in China and India, according IWSR, an established source of analysis on the global alcoholic beverage market.

Whiskey was the largest-growing spirits category in 2013, both globally and in each of the major regions. Asia-Pacific remained the largest region for spirits at 1.93 billion cases, following a modest 0.1% rise in 2013. Within that, China, the largest individual market, gained 0.8 per cent to 1.18 billion cases, while India gained 1.2 per cent to 310.6 million cases. Both markets were affected by slowing economies and spirits' growth was significantly slower than the double-digit growth seen in previous years.

According to IWSR, the Americas was the largest-growing region, adding some 4 million cases last year, a rise of about 1 per cent to 445 million cases. Europe posted the biggest decline, falling -2.2 million cases to 291 million cases. Economically-challenged Spain, alone, lost over 900,000 cases, while Italy shed some 500,000 cases. The German market also contracted.

In Europe, whiskey saw its first year of growth since 2007; whiskey consumption in Poland grew by more than 500,000 cases, with a similar trend to the CIS of switching from traditional white spirits to more trendy brown spirits. Whiskey is the second largest-growing category behind gin, increasing by 225,000 cases. Germany, France and Turkey reported the next-largest increases in whiskey consumption. Whiskey was also the fastest-growing category in Africa and the Middle East.

Overall, consumption in the CIS was marginally up at 363.9m cases. In this traditionally vodka-consuming region, whiskey grew by more than 500,000 cases, with the majority of the growth coming from Ukraine and Russia. Conversely, vodka saw the largest loss in the region due to government initiatives to reduce excessive consumption and increasing taxes, such as in Russia.

Global travel retail spirits gained 1.4 per cent to 21.6m cases. Growth in Europe, the Americas and the rest of the world was offset by a significant slowdown in Asia-Pacific.

Beer grew globally by 85.6m cases thanks to consumption rising by more than 230m cases in Asia-Pacific, while Europe, the Americas and the CIS continued to decline. The main growth came from China.