How Did Scotch Whisky Exports to Germany Rise While Those to France Fell?

Key Takeaways

• According to the Scotch Whisky Association's export figures for 2025, Scotch whisky exports to Germany rose 4.6 percent in value to £177m and 5.8 percent in volume to the equivalent of 59 million 70cl bottles.

• Exports to France, the EU's largest Scotch market by both value and volume, fell 3.6 percent to £404m and 14 percent to 152 million bottle equivalents. Exports to the EU as a whole fell 1.8 percent in value and 9 percent in volume.

• Germany was not the EU's fastest-growing Scotch market: Spain grew faster by value, and HMRC trade statistics show smaller markets such as Czechia and Latvia growing faster by both value and volume.

• Of the EU countries in the SWA's top ten lists, Germany was the only one whose exports grew by both value and volume, and it moved ahead of Spain to become the second largest EU market by volume.

• HMRC figures by product code show that the extra German volume came from blended Scotch shipped in bulk, while volumes of blended Scotch in containers of up to two litres and of single malt fell.

• The average export value per bottle equivalent to Germany was about £3.00 in 2025, about 1 percent lower than in 2024, so the growth did not come from higher value per bottle.

What the 2025 Export Figures Show

The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) published its export figures for 2025 on 12 February 2026, with a note that they were revised following the export release of HMRC, the UK tax and customs authority, and updated numbers in March 2026. The SWA reports two indicators: export value in pounds sterling and export volume in 70cl bottle equivalents at 40 percent ABV.

The EU Overall

According to the SWA, the EU remains Scotch whisky's largest regional market by volume and reclaimed its position as the largest by value in 2025. Exports to the EU were worth £1.5bn, 1.8 percent less than in 2024, and equal to 444 million bottles, 9 percent fewer.

France: Still the Largest, but Lower

France is the largest Scotch market in the EU by both value and volume, and the second largest in the world on both, behind the United States by value and behind India by volume. In 2025 exports to France were worth £404m, down 3.6 percent, and equal to 152 million bottles, down 14 percent.

Germany: Growth on Both Indicators

Exports to Germany rose 4.6 percent in value to £177m and 5.8 percent in volume to the equivalent of 59 million bottles, up from £169m and 56 million bottles in 2024. That made Germany third in the EU and eighth worldwide by value, and second in the EU and fourth worldwide by volume, behind India, France and the United States. With Spanish volume down 8.4 percent to 54 million bottles, Germany moved ahead of Spain by volume, while Spain stayed ahead by value with £208m, up 6 percent.

Was Germany the Fastest-Growing EU Market?

No. By value, Spain grew faster than Germany, by 6 percent against 4.6 percent. By volume, Germany was the only EU country in the SWA's top ten to grow, as France, Spain and Poland all fell, but the SWA lists only the largest markets. HMRC's overseas trade statistics cover every destination, and they show that Czechia, Latvia, Lithuania and Cyprus, all smaller markets, grew faster than Germany in 2025 by both value and volume. What Germany can claim is narrower: among the EU countries in the SWA's top ten lists, it was the only one to grow on both indicators.

Tip: Check whether a figure refers to value or volume before comparing markets. The two indicators can move in opposite directions: in 2025 Scotch exports to Spain rose 6 percent in value but fell 8.4 percent in volume, so the answer to which market grew fastest depends on the indicator.

Where Germany's Growth Came From

The SWA's 2025 release breaks exports down by category mainly at global level. HMRC's trade statistics, by contrast, split the exports to each country by customs product code: they separate single malt, blended malt, grain Scotch and blended Scotch and, except for single malt, containers of up to two litres from larger ones. Converted to 70cl bottles at 40 percent ABV, the HMRC figures for Germany match the SWA totals.

Bulk Blended Scotch

Blended Scotch shipped to Germany in containers holding more than two litres, the heading under which bulk shipments are recorded, rose from the equivalent of about 5 million bottles in 2024 to about 12 million in 2025. That increase of about 7 million was more than double Germany's total gain of about 3 million bottle equivalents. Excluding this category, the volume of Scotch exported to Germany fell by about 8 percent.

Bottled Blends and Single Malt

Blended Scotch in containers of up to two litres, the category that covers standard bottles, remained the largest by volume at about 36 million bottle equivalents, but that was about 8 percent less than in 2024. Single malt volume fell by about 10 percent to about 7 million bottle equivalents, while its value rose by about 2 percent to £83.5m. By value, single malt was the largest category, at close to half of all Scotch exports to Germany.

A Slightly Lower Average Value

Because volume grew faster than value, the average export value per bottle equivalent to Germany slipped by about 1 percent, to about £3.00, against about £3.85 for Spain and a global average of about £4. Bulk shipments pull that average down: the bulk blended Scotch sent to Germany in 2025 averaged about £0.75 per bottle equivalent, against about £2 for blended Scotch in containers of up to two litres. The growth came from more volume at a slightly lower average value, not from higher value per bottle.

What Changed in France

France remained the EU's largest Scotch market in 2025, but both of its indicators fell: value by 3.6 percent and volume by 14 percent.

A Decline Across the Main Categories

HMRC's figures by product code show the fall spread across the main categories. The volume of blended Scotch shipped to France dropped by about a fifth, both in containers of up to two litres and in bulk, and single malt volume fell by about 16 percent. The SWA itself names France among the markets where single malt exports fell in value, by 13 percent.

Value Fell Less Than Volume

Because value fell far less than volume, the average export value per bottle equivalent to France rose by about 12 percent, to about £2.66, though it remained below the German figure. France also stayed well ahead of Germany on both indicators: its 152 million bottle equivalents were more than two and a half times the German total, and its £404m more than twice Germany's £177m.

What the Figures Do Not Show

Shipments Are Not Consumption

Export statistics record the country a shipment is sent to. Within the EU single market, goods can move on to another member state without customs duties or customs declarations, although excise rules still apply, and the country that receives a bulk shipment is not necessarily the one where the whisky is later bottled or sold. The figures show that more Scotch was sent to Germany in 2025, not that more was drunk there.

No Reasons in the Data

Trade statistics record what was shipped, not why. The SWA's release gives no reasons for the changes in individual EU markets; for Scotch exports as a whole, it says category shifts point to a downturn in global consumer spending on premium products, with single malt down 6 percent in value. One year is also a short basis for conclusions: the volume ranking of Germany and Spain reversed between 2024 and 2025.

From Export Value to Prices in Germany

Export values show what Scotch is worth when it is exported. A bottle on sale in Germany also carries transport costs, trade margins and German taxes.

Customs Duty

Regular commercial imports of Scotch pay no customs duty: the standard EU rate for whisky is 0 percent, as it was before the Trade and Cooperation Agreement between the EU and the UK took effect in 2021. Separate rules can apply to small online orders shipped from outside the EU.

Alcohol Tax and VAT

Germany charges alcohol tax on spirits at a standard rate of 1,303 euros per hectolitre of pure alcohol, set in section 2 of the Alkoholsteuergesetz, which comes to about 3.65 euros for a 70cl bottle at 40 percent ABV. VAT at 19 percent is added, calculated on an amount that includes the alcohol tax. Rates can change, so check the current figures on the German customs website, zoll.de.

Tip: For current figures, go to the sources. The SWA publishes its export figures, including the top ten markets by value and by volume, on scotch-whisky.org.uk, and HMRC publishes monthly UK trade statistics by country and product code on uktradeinfo.com.

FAQ

Was Germany the fastest-growing Scotch whisky market in the EU in 2025?

No. Spain grew faster by value, 6 percent against Germany's 4.6 percent, and HMRC trade statistics show smaller EU markets, among them Czechia and Latvia, growing faster by both value and volume. Among the EU countries in the Scotch Whisky Association's top ten lists, Germany was the only one to grow on both indicators.

How much did Scotch whisky exports to Germany grow in 2025?

According to the SWA, exports to Germany rose 4.6 percent in value to £177m and 5.8 percent in volume to the equivalent of 59 million 70cl bottles. Over the same period, exports to the EU fell 1.8 percent in value and 9 percent in volume.

Is Germany the largest Scotch whisky market in the EU?

No. France is the EU's largest Scotch market by both value and volume, and the second largest in the world on both, behind the United States by value and behind India by volume. In 2025 Germany ranked third in the EU by value, behind France and Spain, and second by volume, behind France.

Why did Scotch whisky exports to France fall in 2025?

The SWA does not give a reason for France. Its figures show exports to France down 3.6 percent in value and 14 percent in volume, with single malt down 13 percent in value, and HMRC figures show volume falling across the main categories, including blended Scotch both in containers of up to two litres and in bulk.

Can I buy and sell Scotch whisky on Spiritory?

Yes. Spiritory is a Munich-based bid and ask marketplace for spirits that ships within the EU.