Covid-19 measures taken by governments in 2020 have disproportionately impacted bars and restaurants, eliminating 42% of beer hospitality sales volumes in Europe and decimating the significant, positive contribution made by the beer value chain to the wider economy. This drop in consumption, provoked 860,000 job losses, a 25% decline in beer’s overall value-added to the European economy and a 23% decline in government tax revenues from beer, principally due to €7 billion in lost VAT receipts usually collected through beer hospitality. A further €4 billion in government revenues were lost because of the income and social security contributions usually paid by the hundreds of thousands who lost their jobs.
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