“The experience of the past five years shows that when the excise tax is not increased, the beer flows and tax revenue increases,” reckoned association president Klára Kovács-Csík. Some HUF 66 billion was paid by brewers in taxation in 2013.

Kovács-Csík went on to explain when announcing the figures that, while low-price and premium beer brands saw an uptick in sales in 2013, price-conscious consumers drove down sales of mid-range beers and thus the industry results.

The four largest companies – Borsodi, Dreher, Heineken and Pécsi – accounted for some 95% of sales in Hungary.

Some 24,300 were employed at breweries and related industries in 2013.