France has consumed more beer than wine for the first time on record, marking a significant shift in the drinking habits of a country long associated with wine culture as younger consumers, changing lifestyles and economic pressures reshape alcohol consumption patterns.
According to figures released by the OIV (International Organisation of Vine and Wine), French wine consumption fell to 22 million hectolitres in 2025, slightly below the 22.1 million hectolitres of beer consumed during the same period, according to data from the French brewers’ association, Brasseurs de France.
The figures represent a 70-year low for wine consumption in France and a decline of 3.2 per cent compared with 2024. The OIV described the trend as part of a long-term decline that has unfolded over several decades.
Despite the drop, France remained Europe’s largest wine-consuming nation in 2025, although consumption was 7.2 per cent below the country’s five-year average.
Economic pressures and generational change
Industry experts attributed the shift to a combination of economic challenges and changing consumer behaviour, particularly among younger generations.
The OIV said overall wine consumption had fallen to its lowest level in more than six decades, reflecting both weaker demand in mature wine markets and broader changes in social habits.
“What we can see in the 2025 data is a sector that’s reacting to real-time impacts of US tariff policies, but also adapting to some longer-term changes in terms of climate and consumption,” OIV Director General John Barker said.
Beer consumption, meanwhile, remained relatively stable and marginally exceeded wine consumption for the first time.
The strongest growth was recorded in alcohol-free beer. Consumption of non-alcoholic beer rose by 12 per cent last year, with approximately 600,000 litres consumed during July and August alone.
Analysts said the changing pattern reflected broader shifts in French society, including changing work routines and dining habits.
Dining and Cooking