site.btaBudget Revenues from Beer Production and Sales Exceed BGN 435 Mln - Union of Brewers in Bulgaria

Capital investments in the production of beer and malt in 2024 amount to BGN 80 million, according to data from the Union of Brewers in Bulgaria (UBB), the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry announced on its website. Compared to 2023, the increase in fixed assets is by 40% or 23 million. Budget revenues from the production and sales of beer exceed BGN 435 million, and the added value of the industry is BGN 470 million. In 2024, beer sales in the country are 5,160,000 hectoliters.

Ten world-class beer brands are produced in Bulgaria under license, the president of the Union of Brewers in Bulgaria, Vladimir Ivanov, said at this year's Spring Beer Salon. In the past year, Bulgarian brewers added over 15 new products to their range, including 2 global luxury brands. Ivanov stressed that the increasingly broad portfolio of non-alcoholic beer is also connected to the industry's policies to reduce alcohol abuse.

In 2024, the consumption of non-alcoholic beer in Bulgaria was over 80,000 hectoliters, which is an increase in consumption by about 35% compared to 2023.

The Deputy Chair of the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Maria Mincheva, said that the average salary in the beer industry is always one of the highest among the incomes of employees from the top 10 economic activities in the country. At the end of 2024, according to data from the National Social Insurance Institute, the average insurable earnings in brewing companies were BGN 2,680, she explained.

Beer companies annually introduce green innovation, savings and circular utilization of resources practices, with a strong focus on packaging and waste. For 2024, the total environmental investments are BGN 6 million.

According to the Executive Director of the Union of Brewers in Bulgaria, Ivana Radomirova, the introduction of a deposit system for the separate collection of packaging is a major priority for the sector. Deposit systems are already mandatory for all EU countries, and currently 15 of them are already operating. "We expect a bill on a deposit system to be ready by the end of April this year, and to be adopted by Parliament after the relevant procedures," Radomirova said.

All packaging used in the brewing industry is 100% recyclable. Over the past 5 years, there has been a sustainable trend towards reducing the share of plastic beer bottles. In 2024, members of the Union of Brewers in Bulgaria put 4,767 tons of PET packaging on the market, which is 37% less than in 2020. In 2024, fewer glass bottles were produced as well - 4,100 tons, which is an increase in the reuse of 30%.