The US leads with 339m 9-litre cases and is forecast to grow by 11.3%. France and Italy, at numbers two and three, are expected to decline by 2.8 and 5.1% respectively while Germany, China (including Hong Kong) and the UK are expected to increase by 1.1%, 24.8% and 5.5% respectively.
IWSR said spirits volume has grown 19.1% between 2009 and 2013 and expects it to increase 3.1% by 2018. Asia Pacific’s share will rise from 56% in 2009 to 63% in 2018.
Of the leading spirits categories, baijiu is forecast to increase volume by 2.7% by 2018. In category size order it is followed by vodka (+0.5%), brandy (+3.9%), rum (-7.6%), scotch (+8.8%), liqueurs (+2.6%), bourbon (+19.3%), gin/genever (-4.8%), tequila (+11.7%), cognac/armagnac (+12.7%) with other spirits increasing by +5.6%.
