Scotch whisky is doing better and better

The Scotch Whisky Association has just released statistics on Scotch whisky sales around the world last year, which was so difficult after all. All indications are that the trend is upward, although 2019 sales levels have not yet been reached. However, we are moving in the right direction, and the Polish accent also appears in the lists of.

So let's summarize the most important numbers and trends.

In 2021, Scotch whisky was exported with a total value of 4.51 billion pounds. That's 705 million more than a year earlier, but still 403 million less than in 2019.

The amount of Scotch whisky sold for export, in terms of 700ml bottles, is 1.38 billion bottles. That's 238 million more than in 2021 and 73 million more than in 2019. As many as 44 bottles of whisky are sold on average per second. That's up from 36 bottles per second last year.

The two figures above show that we are buying more, but we are less likely to reach for those most expensive bottles. Could this mean the imminent end of retail price hikes and bad news for speculators, who buy mainly with a view to reselling individual editions at a profit? Time will tell, but we can certainly speak of a growing trend of buying whiskey to drink, as opposed to investing and speculating. And this is a positive trend, indicating a progressive stabilization in the whisky market.

Year-on-year increases in sales value by category are:

Blended Scotch whisky - 17%
Single malt whisky - 19%
Other Scotch whisky - 25%

So it seems that we are increasingly willing to reach for whiskies that were previously less popular - blended malt whisky and grain whisky.

The largest markets by sales value are:

US £ 790 million (+8.4%)
France £ 387 million (+2.8%)
Taiwan £ 226 million (+24.3%)
Singapore £ 212 million (-14.3%)
China £ 198 million (+84.9%)

In terms of sales volume, the largest markets are:

France 176 million (-0.1%)
India 136 million (+44.3%)
US 126 million (+12.6%)
Brazil 82 million (+80.5%)
Japan 56 million (+25.9%)

In this list, in 9th place. poland appears, to which was exported from Scotland 45 million bottles, which is an increase of 19.4% compared to 2020.

Finally, a handful of statistical trivia.

Scotland's distilling industry employs more than 11,000. people in Scotland, and another 42,000. are employed in the UK in industries related to the distilling industry.

About 90% of the barley used to make Scotch whisky comes from Scotland.

Approximately 22 million barrels are currently aged in bonded warehouses across Scotland.

There are 137 distilleries in Scotland (as of the end of December 2021).


[14.02.2022 / graphic: Scotch Whisky Association]