10 October 2008

BRUSSELS -- Belgians are among the biggest champagne drinkers in the world. Belgium was the fifth largest consumer of champagne in 2007, after the UK, the United States, Germany and Italy, according to the newspaper La Derniere Heure.

On The Belgian Day of Champagne the professional association released sale figures for 2007 and the first half of 2008. In 2007, 338.7 million bottles of champagne were sold worldwide. This is 5.3 percent more than in 2006, and figures increased since 2000.

The trend is expected to reverse, as experts predict a drop in the sales due to the economic crisis. They argue that champagne is a luxury item that people may stop buying as they become more price conscious.

According to La Derniere Heure, in the first half of 2008 champagne sales increased by 6 percent in Belgium, while globally sales fell 2.6 percent. The last half of 2008 will likely show an even larger drop in the worldwide sale of champagne due to troubled financial markets.

However, sales in the emerging markets of China and the other Asian tigers are expected to increase.

[flandersnews.be / Expatica]