- With 47.3 million hectoliters produced in 2025 and over 500 denominations of origin, Italy is the world’s leading wine producer. However, global consumption is at its lowest since the 1960s: 214 million hectoliters.
- In Italy, alcoholic aperitifs are growing by +4.3% in value, while sweet liqueurs are down by 3.7%. The spirits system is reorganizing around the aperitif culture, which already accounts for 1.7 billion in exports.
- The Italian beverage sector is worth 45 billion euros in total turnover. This includes wine (7.78 billion in exports in 2025), beer (17 million hl, 850 craft breweries), spirits, and mineral water (220 liters per capita, the highest consumption in Europe).
- Over 54.7% of the Italian population claims to drink wine. This market is particularly attentive to territoriality, sustainability, and product traceability.
- The global no and low alcohol beverage market will grow by over 36% between 2024 and 2029. The dealcoholized wine segment is expected to exceed 5.2 billion dollars by 2033.
The global alcoholic beverage market is worth 1.83 trillion dollars in 2025 and will grow to 2.2 trillion by 2030. Nevertheless, overall volumes have decreased by 1% in the last year.
Almost half of consumers in key global markets report having reduced their alcohol consumption over the past five years. Global wine consumption fell in 2024 to approximately 214 million hectoliters, the lowest level since the 1960s.
In the United States, the primary export market for Italian wine, volumes have contracted by about 20% over the last four years. Still, the value of the beverage sector remains steady and is growing because consumption has become more selective.
Premium segments are advancing, and no/low alcohol is accelerating with over 36% expected growth by 2029. Italy remains the world’s leading wine producer with 47.3 million hectoliters in 2025.
This is the picture emerging from the Rome Business School report “Beverage 2030? Premium, Sustainable, Low Alcohol”. The study is authored by Camilla Carrega Bartolini, Professor of the International Master in Food and Beverage Management and enologist, and Valerio Mancini, Director of the RBS Research Center.
A 1.83 Trillion Market in Evolution: Less Volume, More Value
The global alcoholic beverage market was worth 1.83 trillion dollars in 2025. It is destined to grow to 2.2 trillion by 2030 with a CAGR of 3.57% (Mordor Intelligence, 2026).
However, global volumes decreased by 1% in 2025. This confirms a structural slowdown in demand within mature markets such as North America, Western Europe, and Japan (IWSR, 2026).
The paradox is only apparent: sales are increasing in value because the quality is improving. In terms of composition, beer maintains about 45% of the global market by volume, spirits 35-37%, and wine 18-20%.
Wine: Italy is the Top Global Producer, but Consumption is at a Historic Low
In 2024, global wine consumption dropped to approximately 214 million hectoliters. This is the lowest level recorded since the 1960s (OIV, 2025). In the U.S. alone, volumes have contracted by about 20% in the last four years.
In this scenario, Italy confirms its position as the leading global producer with approximately 47.3 million hectoliters in 2025. It sits ahead of France (35.9 million hl) and Spain (29.4 million hl). Together, these three countries represent about 49% of global production.
“Italy is the country that best embodies the paradox of contemporary beverage. Italy’s competitive advantage lies in knowing how to transform the territorial identity of its products into recognizable value in international markets.”
— Camilla Carrega Bartolini, Rome Business School.
No and Low Alcohol: The Innovation Frontier Rewriting the Supply Chain
The most disruptive phenomenon concerns the growth of the no and low alcohol segment. The global sector is destined to grow by approximately 36% between 2024 and 2029 (IWSR, 2026).
In the dealcoholized wine segment alone, the global market will exceed 5.2 billion dollars by 2033. In the United States, non-alcoholic wine has already recorded a 29.1% growth in value.
“The growth of no/low alcohol is not a fad, but the reflection of a profound cultural transformation. Those who can combine technology and terroir will have a unique positioning in the beverage market of the future.”
— Valerio Mancini, Rome Business School.