Historic UK Beer Statistics
Production - Consumption - Average strength

Introduction
This page contains statistics taken from "The Brewers' Almanack and Wine and Spirit Trade Annual, 1928", published for the Brewers' Society by The Review Press.

There are remarkably complete figures on all aspects of the brewing industry, stretching back, in some cases, to the start of the 19th century.
Index
Beer Production & Average SG
Beer Production 1857 - 1945
Bulk & Standard Barrels
Beer Duty & Price per Pint
Beer Duty Changes 1914 - 1924
Brewing Licences
Brewers for Sale
Beer Imports & Exports
Beer Exports by Country
UK Population

Historic UK Beer Statistics
Beer production


Number of Bulk or Liquid Barrels Produced and Average SG in each division of the UK
Year England & Wales Average SG Scotland Average SG Ireland Average SG United Kingdom Average SG
1900 32,146,769 - 2,289,048 - 2,669,225 - 37,105,042 1054.93
1905 30,594,189 1052.54 2,021,374 1049.60 2,799,960 1063.49 35,415,523 1053.23
1910 29,284,045 1052.30 1,956,659 1048.48 3,059,210 1064.78 34,299,914 1053.20
1914 31,737,384 1051.69 2,288,981 1047.67 3,532,902 1065.93 37,558,767 1052.80
1915 29,310,783 1051.16 2,042,477 1046.85 3,412,520 1065.93 34,765,780 1052.35
1916 26,914,428 1050.49 1,917,148 1046.45 3,279,032 1066.43 32,110,608 1051.88
1917 25,497,825 1047.01 1,816,003 1043.16 2,850,170 1065.69 30,163,998 1048.54
1918 16,340,250 1038.25 1,141,114 1036.74 1,603,679 1057.89 19,085,043 1039.81
1919 20,133,048 1029.35 1,325,439 1029.77 1,806,096 1044.43 23,264,533 1030.55
1920 29,891,845 1038.57 2,186,604 1038.83 2,969,498 1048.35 35,047,947 1039.41
1921 28,927,178 1041.72 2,096,080 1042.31 3,481,312 1050.18 34,504,570 1042.61
1922 25,468,663 1042.21 1,770,175 1041.68 2,939,893 1049.44 30,178,731 1042.88
1923a 22,334,328 1042.82 1,598,339 1041.36 15,984 1037.50 23,948,651 1042.72
1924a 23,609,228 1043.18 1,800,687 1041.27 15,102 1037.69 25,425,017 1043.04
1925a 24,827,074 1043.24 1,895,535 1041.53 12,216 1038.40 26,734,825 1043.12
1926a 24,871,187 1043.34 1,884,933 1041.87 9,490 1036.91 26,765,610 1043.23
1927a 23,418,640 1043.35 1,673,576 1042.30 8,245 1038.11 25,100,461 1043.28
a Figures for Ireland exclude the Free State.

Authority: Report of Commissioners of Customs and Excise

The production statistics are in barrels, SG refers to the original specific gravity of the beer.

1 barrel = 163.656 litres.




Number of Barrels of Beer Brewed 1857-1945
Year ended
March 3I.		 England& Wales Scotland. Ireland. United Kingdom.
1857 16,470,221 588,552 926,000 17,984,773
1860 18,316,062 810,727 1,213:307 20,340,096
1865 20,276,623 1,207,595 1,242,671 22,546,889
Sept. 30,        
1871 23,587,798 1,227,308 1,616,654 26,431,760
1875 27,809,523 1,179,244 2,025,614 31,014,381
1880 27,533,670 1,142,710 2,066,269 30,742,649
1881 24,395,418 1,036,951 1,919,992 27,352,361
March 31,        
1882 24,738,113 1,088,000 2,044,413 27,870,526
1883 23,874,632 1,122,360 2,143,899 27,140,891
1884 24,419,284 1,216,319 2,114,488 27,750,091
1885 24,519,173 1,237,323 2,229,997 27,986,493
1890 26,740,773 1,666,897 2,460,645 30,808,315
1895 27,248,804 1,758,879 2,670,803 31,678,486
1900 31,912,985 2,136,992 3 041,009 37,090,986
1905 29,885,208 1,813,109 3,205,970 34,404,287
1910 27,660,606 1,718,705 3,567,941 32,947,252
1913 28,853,000 1,837,000 4,115,000 34,805,291
1914 29,657,000 1,977,000 4,228,000 36,057,913
1915 27,268,000 1,739,000 4,091,000 33,099,411
1916 24,713,000 1,618,000 8,961,000 30,292,977
1918 11,365,875 762,238 1,688,060 13,816,173
1919 10,748,609 717,399 1,459,079 12,925,087
1920 20,961,055 1,543,269 2,610,872 25,115,196
1921 21,940,671 1,611,404 3,177,808 26,729,883
1922 19,533,006 1,339,542 2,641,226 23,613,774
1923a 17,353,910 1,199,462 10,840 18,564,212
1924a 18,530,952 1,350,296 10,347 19,890,033
1925a 19,515,269 1,430,604 8,524 20,954,392
1926a 19,593,408 1,434,788 6,223 21,034,419
1927a 18,452,978 1,286,509 5,712 19,745,199
1939       24,187,883
1945       31,031,814
a Figures for Great Britain and N. Ireland only.

For definition of Standard Barrel, see below.

Calculated, up to 1881, according to the Quantities of Malt and Sugar used; afterwards, up to 1901, and again from 1914 onwards, according to the Number of Standard Barrels Charged with Beer Duty, but from 1902 to 1913 the Number upon which duty was paid during the year.

Authority.-Reports of Commissioners of Inland Revenue and of Customs and Excise, and Trade and Navigation.



The "Standard Barrel" and the "Bulk Barrel"
There is much misunderstanding outside the Brewing Trade as to what the Standard Barrel of Beer really is, and therefore the following explanation may be found useful.

The Standard Barrel may be described as an imaginary or hypothetical unit of measurement adopted mainly for the purpose of levying the Beer Duty. It is taken to be a barrel of 36 gallons of beer of an original gravity before fermentation of 1055 degrees, and, though in practice exactly such a barrel of beer is seldom met with, it is in theory the barrel on which the brewer pays the duty of £5 and makes nearly all his calculations. It is as often spoken of as the barrel of 55º, omitting the 10 preceding, and as such is more easily understood by the non-technical man.

A barrel of 27.5º, half standard, is accordingly charged £2 10s. duty. Similarly, a barrel of 72.5º, half as strong again as standard, is accordingly charged £7 10s. duty. Each degree of gravity represents at the present rate of duty slightly more than 1s. 9 3/4d., and 55º at that rate make up the charge of £5 per standard barrel.

Any given barrel of beer which is not exactly the standard barrel as defined above is known as the bulk barrel. As the gravity or strength of the bulk barrel rises above or falls below the standard of 55º, so the charge for duty increases or diminishes by 1s. 9.81d. per degree.

The price of beers is governed mainly by the gravity or strength at which they are supplied by the brewer, and the prices and ranges of gravity fixed by the Food Controller in 1920 (see p. 101) more or less apply to-day, less 1d. a pint as the result of the Rebate of Duty provided for in the Finance Act 1923 (see p. 90). This Rebate amounts to 20s. per bulk barrel as brewed and delivered from the brewery.
Taken from "The Brewers' Almanack 1928" pages 102 and 103.

Notes:
55º = an Original Gravity of 1055
£2 10s = £2.50

In pre-decimal coinage:
12d (twelve pence) = 1s (one shilling)
240d = £1
20s = £1

 

Historic UK Beer Statistics
Beer duty and price per pint

Beer Produced, Rate of Duty, Yield, and Average Price
  Duty Standard barrels Bulk barrels Duty £ Average
Price of Pint
s. d.
1914 7 9 36,057,913 37,558,767 13,622,971 3d.
1914# 7 9 36,165,000 - -  
1915 23 0 33,099,000 34,736,000 15,856,412 3d.
1916 23 0 30,292,000 32,110,000 33,747,269 3d.
1917 24 0 26,626,000 30,163,000 31,567,940 4d.
1918 25 0 13,816,000 19,085,000 19,108,663 4 1/2d.
1919 50 0 12,925,000 23,264,000 25,423,393 5d.
1920 70 0 25,115,000 35,047,000 71,276,230 6d.
1921 100 0 26,729,000 34,504,000 123,393,903 7d.
1922 100 0 23,513,000 30,178,000 121,844,000 7d.
1923 100 0 21,027,000 26,616,000 99,999,000 7d.
1923* 100 0 18,564,000 23,948,000 92,262,000 7d.
1924* 100 0 19,891,000 25,425,000 76,110,000 6d.
1925* 100 0 20,954,000 26,734,000 75,825,000 6d.
1926* 100 0 21,034,000 26,765,000 76,320,000 6d.
1927* 100 0 19,745,199 25,100,461 78,763,480 6d.
Year to March 31st, except: # Year to Sept. 30

* Great Britain and Northern Ireland only, excluding imports from Irish Free State &c. of
  • 1,392,000 standard barrels in 1923-4, upon which the net duty paid was £5,591,362 ;
  • 1,545,953 barrels in 1924-5, upon which £6,161,503 was paid; and
  • 1,516,435 barrels in 1925-6 upon which £6,083,126 was paid.


Historic UK Beer Statistics
Brewing Licences

Number of Brewing Licences
Year
Brewers for sale
No.
Brewers for sale
Duty Paid £
 Other Brewers
- not for sale		 Total.
1870       33,840
1880 - - 23,338  
1881 16,798 £16,798 71,876 88,674
1882 15,774 £15,774 110,025 125,799
1885 13,799 £13,799 88,007 101,806
1886 13,308 £13,308 95,301 108,609
1890 11,364 £11,364 25,281 36,645
1900 6,447 £6,447 12,734 19,181
1905 5,311 £5,311 9,930 15,241
1910 4,512 £382,253 7,006 11,518
1915 3,556 £415,327 4,741 8,297
1920 2,914 £226,745 2,999 5,913
1925 1,996 £242,715 9,467 11,463
1926 1,844 £248,622 11,487 13,331
1927 1,722 £243,193 12,178 13,900
Number of Licences taken out each year by

(a) Brewers for Sale with Licence Duty Paid; and
(b) Private Brewers :

United Kingdom (1923 and after, Irish Free State excluded).

Authority - Report of Commissioners of Inland Revenue and Customs & Excise.



Number of Persons licensed as Brewers for Sale
Year <1,000 >1,000
< 10,000		 >10,000
<20,000		 >20,000
<100,000		 >100,000
<500,000		 >500,000
1870 26,506 1,809 210 128 23 3
1875 22,138 1,864 260 194 25 4
1879 17,542 1,863 301 217 27 3
1880 16,770 1,768 272 203 23 4
1881 14,948* 1,677 275 183 24 3
1885 12,608 1,537 270 187 27 4
1890 9,986 1,447 274 255 34 4
1895 7,213 1,162 267 256 34 5
1900 4,759 910 262 308 42 9
1905 3,787 832 232 280 40 9
1912 2,868* 673 205 266 43 7
1913 2,700* 615 210 271 42 8
1914 2,536* 580 197 280 46 8
* Of these totals 14,479, 2,663, 2,502, and 2,357 respectively were retail publican or beerhouse brewers.

NOTE.-
ln 1870, in addition to the above, there were 3,944 "beginners 12s. 6d." ; in 1875, 3,064 ; in 1879, 2,425 ; and in 1880, 2,183.

In the figures for the years 1881 to 1893 inclusive, a large number of transfers is included the actual number of licences issued in these years being as follows :-1881, 16,146 ; 1885, 13,800 ; 1890, 11,355 ; 1891, 10,659 ; 1892, 10,083 ; 1893, 9,664.

After the last named year the figures refer to the actual number of persons licensed. The number of licences issued was, in 1894, 9,355 ; 1895, 9,048 ; 1900, 6,440 ; 1905, 5,312 ; 1906, 5,153 ; 1907, 4,968 ; 1908, 4,800 ; 1909, 4,664 ; 1910, 4,513 ; 1911, 4,337 ; 1913, 4,165 ; 1913, 3,946 ; 1914, 3,745.

Authority - Annual Returns "Brewers' Licences " (discontinued).



Beer Duty Changes &c., 1914 to 1924.
The following is a chronological statement of beer duty changes and restrictions since 1914.--

Year ended Sept. 30 1914 : Output 36,165,000 standard barrels, which may be described as the pre-war rate. Nov. IS 1914 : Duty raised from 7s. 9d. to 23s. per standard barrel.

Year ended March 31 1916 : Output 30,292,977 standard barrels.

April 1 1916: Duty raised to 24s.

Year ended March 31 1917 : Output 26,626,039 standard barrels, the reduction being due to the Output if Beer (Restriction) Act, 1916.

April 1 1917: Output for quarter reduced by Food Controller to rate of 11,470,000 standard barrels a year, including beer for the Navy and Army. Duty raised to 25s. per barrel.

July 1 1917: Statutory output for quarter increased by 33 1/3 per cent. to rate of 15,043,000 standard barrels, half the beer to be brewed at a gravity not exceeding 1036º, 20 per cent. offered to all brewers on those terms, the balance of 13 1/2 per cent. being brewed under special licence for consumption in munition areas.

Oct. 1 1917: Rate and conditions of previous quarter continued but gravity for one-half of the output raised to 1042º. Prices also fixed at 4d. per pint under 1036º, 5d. per pint under 1042º.

Jan. 1 1918: Rate and conditions of previous quarter again continued.

April 1 1918: Output for quarter reduced to rate of 11,470,000 standard barrels. The extra 20 per cent. offer withdrawn and 33 1/3 per cent. for munition areas reduced to 10.4 per cent., equal to 1,120,000 barrels, leaving total output at rate of 12,590,000 a year. Conditions changed by provision that average gravity of all beer brewed shall not exceed 1030º for great Britain and 1045º for Ireland, and that no beer shall be brewed below 1010º: and prices fixed at 4d. per pint below 1030º, and 5d. per pint for 1030º to 1034º. Food Controller imposed a special charge of 25s. per standard barrel for a munition beer brewed under his licence. April 23 1918: Duty increased to 50s.

Jan. 1 1919 : Statutory barrelage increased by 25 per cent., making annual rate of total output 13,260,000 standard barrels. Gravities raised 2º both for Great Britain and Ireland.

Feb. 20 1919 : Food Controller stated that "it is being constantly represented to us from Labour and other organisations that the shortage of beer and spirits is a cause contributing to the unrest in the country. I hope very shortly to be in a position to allow a considerably larger additional output of beer, and of better quality, than that recently sanctioned."

April 1 1919 : Beer duty raised to 70s. Statutory barrelage increased by 50 per cent., and gravity raised to 1040º in Great Britain. Special charge of 25s. per barrel for munition beer abolished as from April 30 1919.

May 23 1919 : Statutory barrelage further increased by 45 per cent., bringing total output up to rate of 26,000,000 standard barrels a Year. July 1 1919: All restriction on volume of output removed, and average permitted gravity increased in Great Britain to 1044º, and in Ireland to 1051º.

Aug. 1 1919 : In lieu of proposed increase of beer duty to 80s. on freedom of output being established, the gravities at which the different priced beers might be sold retail were revised in a new Order by the Food Controller. The range of gravities was raised 4º all round, beer under 1020' being fixed at the maximum price of 2d. per pint in a public-bar.

April 20 1920: Duty raised to 100s., which is practically 13 times as great as the pre-war rate and represents an increase of 1,190%. Food -Con troller's maximum retail prices raised by ld. per pint. See schedules next page.

June 30 1921 Restriction as to Average Permitted Gravities ended. Aug. 31 1921 All control of prices abolished. April 1 1923 Rebate of 20s. per bulk barrel made from duty of £5 per standard barrel with arrangement that the Trade should bear the balance of 4s. by reducing as from

April 17 the price of beer by 1d. per pint, equal to 24s. per bulk barrel.
The Beer Prices Order, as it existed up to the time of its revocation, is set out in full in the Brewers' Almanack 1921, pp. 74-83. For purposes of reference the First and Second Schedules to the Order are reprinted as follows :-


First Schedule.- Sales of Beer by Retail in a Public Bar or for Consumption off the Premises.

Beer by gravity Non-bottled
price per pint		 Bottled Price per
half pint pint quart
Under 1020º 3d. 3d. 6d. 10d.
> 1020º < 1027º 4d. 3 1/2d. 7d. 11d.
> 1027º < 1033º 5d. 4d. 7 l/2d. 1/1
> 1033º < 1039º 6d. 4 1/2d. 8d. 1/3
> 1039º < 1046º 7d. 5 1/2d. 9d. 1/5
> 1046º < 1054º 8d. 6 1/2d. 11d. 1/7
> 1054º 9d. 7d. 1/1 1/9



Second Schedule.-Sales of Beer by Retailfor Consumption on the Premises Elsewhere than in a Public Bar

Beer by gravity Non-bottled
price per pint		 Bottled Price per
half pint pint quart
Under 1020º 4d. 4d. 8d 1/-
> 1020º < 1027º 5d. 4 1/2d. 9d. 1/1
> 1027º < 1033º 6d. 5d. 9 1/2d. 1/3
> 1033º < 1039º 7d. 5 1/2d. 10d. 1/5
> 1039º < 1046º 8d. 6 1/2d. 11d. 1/7
> 1046º < 1054º 9d. 7 1/2d. 1/1 1/9
> 1054º 10d. 8 1/2d. 1/3 1/11


Where bottled beer is sold in a bottle containing less than an imperial quart but containing a quantity not specified in Column 3 above, the maximum price shall be a price at the rate applicable to bottled beer of a like original gravity sold in a bottle containing the next greater quantity specified in Column 3.

Where bottled beer is sold in a bottle containing more than one imperial quart, the maximum price shall be a price at tile rate applicable to bottled beer of a like original gravity sold in a bottle containing one imperial quart.

In either case, in estimating the maximum price a broken halfpenny shall he reckoned as a halfpenny.
Taken from "The Brewers' Almanack 1928" pages 100 - 101.

This is the effect the regulations, as related in a newspaper article from April 1917 "The price of Beer Yesterday".


Historic UK Beer Statistics
Beer Imports and Exports

Barrels of Beer Exported and Imported
Exports Imports
Year Barrels Year Barrels
1857
 435,334 1857 3,123
1860
 534,827 1860 3,592
1870
 471,684 1870 5,058
1875
 503,881 1880 10,742
1880
 412,192 1890 35,081
1890
 503,221 1895 44,399
1895
 432,742 1900 50,875
1900
 487,643 1903 55,560*
1905
 521,476 1905 51,944*
1910
 570,929 1910 50,927*
1915
 481,183 1915 49,790*
1920
 317,167 1920 590*
1922
 260,914 1922 4,033*
1923
 257,454 1923a 7,017*
1924
 262,668 1924a 1,392,576
1925
 266,933 1925a 1,545,953
1926
 295,488 1926a 1,516,435
1927
 276,758 1927a 1,349,515
* Net.
a Great Britain and N. Ireland only.
Barrels: Bulk down to 1907, Standard 1908 & after. Year end: December 31st down to 1900, March 31st after

Authority.-Board of Trade Returns; Reports of Commissioners of Inland Revenue and Customs & Excise; and Statistical Office of H. M. Customs.


Exports by Country (year ending Dec. 31st)
Country 1890 1900 1910 1920 1926 1927
United States
 48,991 47,700 69,688 - - -
Egypt
 6,591 18,597 20,600 9,796 10,760 10,510
Malta & Gozo
 20,390 22,932 - - 26,036 18,822
British S.Africa
25,582 31,446 5,937 3,302 - -
British W.Indies and Guiana
 26,882 18,794 21,726 13,688 14,484 15,144
India
 97,196 94,918 96,914 57,600 57,313 60,814
Straits Settlements
 - - - 22,063 16,003 16,359
Australasia
 147,014 96,785 90,416 18,199 - -
Belgium
 - - - - 52,805 55,820
France
 - - - - 9,234 7,865
Other Countries
 150,565 202,605 285,065 262,449 96,111* 102,116*
Total
 502,921 510,845 590,346 390,248 283,033 287,450
As regards the Import of Foreign Beers, although the quantity had increased before the War, it only increased the per capita consumption in 1913 from 27.51 gals. (British beer) to 27.56 gals. (British and imported).

In 1926-27 all but about 20,000 barrels were imported from the Irish Free State.

* Includes Irish Free State 37,884 and 38,071 respectively.


Historic UK Beer Statistics
UK Population

Population of the United Kingdom 1801 - 1927
Year England Wales England & Wales Scotland Ireland United Kingdom
1801 - - 9,060,993 1,625,000 5,216,329 15,902,322
1811 - - 10,322,592 1,824,434 5,956,466 18,103,492
1821 - - 12,105.614 2,099,945 6,801,827 21,007,386
1831 - - 13,9941460 2,373,561 7,767,401 24,135,422
1841 15,002,000 912,000 15,929,492 2,621,854 8,199,853 26,751,199
1851 16,922,000 1,006,000 17,982,849 2,896,015 6,514,473 27,393,337
1861 18,954,000 1,112,000 20,119,314 3,069,404 5,788,415 28,977,133
1871 21,495,000 1,217,000 22,783,541 3,368,921 5,398,179 31,555,694
1875 22,771,000 1,274,000 24,045,385 3,514,744 5,278,629 32,838,758
1881 24,682,000 1,364,000 26,046,142 3,742,564 5,145,770 34,934,476
1885 25,794,000 1,425,000 27,220,706 3,856,307 4,938,588 36,015,601
1891 27,561,000 1,523,000 29,085,819 4,036,245 4,680,317 37,802,381
1895 28,856,000 1,594,000 30,451,528 4,209,645 4,558,941 39,220,114
1900 30,546,000 1,702,000 32,249,187 4,436,958 4,466,326 41,154,646
1901 30,895,000 1,725,000 32,612,134 4,479,065 4,445,630 41,537,078
1905 32,175,000 1,816,000 33,990,764 4,592,036 4,395,788 42,978,588
1910 33,812,000 1,983,000 35,796,280 4,737,268 4,377,789 44,911,346
1911 34,167,000 2,032,000 36,189,685 4,751,132 4,383,608 45,324,425
1912 34,329,000 2,053,000 36,382,456 4,741,077 4,384,710 45,508,243
1913 34,532,000 2,074,000 36,606,226 4,728,132 4,379,012 45,713,370
1914 34,852.000 2,108,000 36,960,684 4,747,167 4,381,398 46,089,249
1919 34,640,000 2,160,000 36,800,000 4,820,077 4,462,000 46,082,077
1920 35,324,000 2,200,000 37,524,000 4,864,396 4,485,000 46,873,396
1921 35,679,987 2,206,712 37,886,699 4,882,497 -
 42,769,196*
1922 35,904,000 2,254,000 38,158,000 4,904,000 4,444,000 47,506,000
1923 36,103,000 2,300,000 38,403,000 4,901,000 - --
1924 36,406,000 2,340,000 38,746,000 4,881,000 1,279,000+ 44,906,000++
1925 36,510,000 2,380,000 38,890,000 4,890,000 - -
1926 36,670,000 2,397,000 39,067,000 4,896,000 - -
1927 36,785,000 2,418,000 39,203,000 4,894,000 - -
1931 - - 39,988,000 4,843,000 1,243,000 46,074,000
1941 - - 41,748,000 5,160,000 1,308,000 48,216,000
1951 - - 43,815,000 5,102,000 1,373,000 50,290,000
1961 - - 46,196,000 5,184,000 1,427,000 52,807,000
1971 - - 49,152,000 5,236,000 1,540,000 55,928,000
1981 - - 49,634,000 5,180,000 1,538,000 56,352,000
1991 - - 51,099,000 5,107,000 1,601,000 57,808,000
2001 - - 52,211,000 5,123,000 1,675,000 59,009,000
Down to 1921 census figures, later figures being approximate.
* Ireland omitted.
++ Irish Free State omitted.


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