Sekt & Co.: Consumption of sparkling wine in Germany has dropped by a fifth in the last decade - Sekt & Co.: Consumption of sparkling wine in Germany has dropped by a fifth in the last decade
Germany’s sparkling wine tax brought in €352 million for the federal government in 2024. Yet consumption of bubbly drinks has fallen sharply over the past decade. The average German now drinks fewer glasses each year than they did ten years ago.
In 2014, the typical German drank around 46 glasses of sparkling wine annually. By 2024, that number had dropped to just 36. Per person, consumption fell from 6.1 bottles to 4.8 bottles over the same period.
Total sales also shrank. The country sold 255.3 million litres of sparkling wine in 2024—19.5% less than in 2014. Despite the decline, the tax on these drinks still contributed €352 million to public funds. This figure made up 0.04% of all tax revenue collected by federal, state, and local authorities. The reasons behind the drop remain unclear. Official statistics explaining the trend will not be published until January 2, 2026. Meanwhile, beer tax revenue reached €558 million in 2024, slightly higher than the sparkling wine duty.
The sparkling wine market in Germany has shrunk significantly since 2014. Sales and per-person consumption have both fallen, though the tax still generates hundreds of millions in revenue. Official data on the causes behind the decline will arrive in early 2026.
