T. Ozbun
Research expert covering food retail and all food topics for Italy and Brazil
Spirits market in Italy - statistics & facts
In Italy, the spirits market generated a revenue of approximately 2.2 billion euros in 2023 and is expected to increase further in the coming years, exceeding 2.5 billion euros by 2029. The best-selling spirit in Italy was Grappa, an alcoholic beverage obtained from the distillation of grape skins left over from winemaking after pressing the grapes.
Consumption of spirits in Italy had shown a steady growth in past years, until 2020, when due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Italians decided to reduce their alcohol consumption. This trend has set, and since then Italians seem to consume around a liter of spirits per capita. Men made up the majority of spirits consumers in Italy. When it comes to age, Italians aged between 25 and 34 were the most likely to have consumed spirits at least once. In addition, the percentage of spirits consumers from the south and islands was lower than the rest of the country.
Spirits production and sales
In 2022, there were 607 companies operating in the industry of distilling, rectifying, and blending of spirits in Italy. The sold production value peaked in that year at approximately 1.5 billion euros after some fluctuations in the previous period. The volume of spirits produced remained generally stable, reaching around one million hectoliters as of 2023. Although online sales of spirits experienced initial growth, especially during the pandemic, offline sales surpassed them, capturing a larger portion of the market as time progressed. Distilled spirits and brandies accounted for the largest share of spirits sales, with grappa and whiskey topping the list in their category, but sales of alcoholic aperitifs, such as the famous Aperol, also reached considerable figures.Trade and consumption
The European Union was the main destination area for spirits exported from Italy, followed closely by North America. Italy also imported a large amount of spirits and liquors: around 78.3 million liters in 2023, slightly less than the previous year.Consumption of spirits in Italy had shown a steady growth in past years, until 2020, when due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Italians decided to reduce their alcohol consumption. This trend has set, and since then Italians seem to consume around a liter of spirits per capita. Men made up the majority of spirits consumers in Italy. When it comes to age, Italians aged between 25 and 34 were the most likely to have consumed spirits at least once. In addition, the percentage of spirits consumers from the south and islands was lower than the rest of the country.
