Overview: The Scotch Whisky Association released export data revealing significant shifts in the global market landscape. While 2025 saw overall exports decline by value and volume, the first half of 2026 indicates a recovery with rising sales figures year-on-year.
The Full Story
The 2025 export report released by the Scotch Whisky Association revealed a major and uneven shift in the global Scotch whisky market, with overall exports down 1.8 per cent by value and 4.3 per cent by volume. Behind those headline figures was a much more complicated story with individual markets moving in very different directions. The results from the first half of 2026 marked a continuation of this trend, but a rebound in sales, with global Scotch exports rising 6 per cent by volume and 3 per cent by value year-on-year.
Although six months is insufficient to establish a long-term trend, it is positive news for the global Scotch whisky industry. The first-half 2026 figures challenge the idea that Scotch whisky is experiencing structural decline. More whisky was exported than during the comparable period last year, total value increased, single malt volumes recovered, and several strategically important markets continued to expand. Total Scotch whisky exports were worth AUD $10 billion in 2025, with 43 bottles shipped every second to around 163 global markets.
Market-by-market analysis showed distinct regional divergences. France slumped 3.6 per cent by value and 14 per cent by volume in 2025. However, the 2025 calendar year saw Asia Pacific lose its title as Scotch’s most valuable regional market to Europe after declining 8.3 per cent. Australia was largely exempt from this shift, with the largest value falls among Asia Pacific markets recorded in China, Singapore and Thailand.
India, also within APAC, was the strongest-performing major Scotch export market in 2025, up 15 per cent by both volume and value and receiving the equivalent of 220 million bottles. In a similar fashion, growth in some established markets is helping offset declines elsewhere in Europe. While France softened, Germany became the eighth-largest Scotch market globally by value and fourth-largest by volume, up 4.6 and 5.8 per cent respectively.
In the first half of 2026, the Netherlands, which is a key European distribution hub similar to Singapore in APAC, was among the European markets to record growth in import volumes. Australia was last among the world’s top 10 Scotch whisky markets by value in 2021.
Brand & Industry History
The Scotch Whisky Association and whisky investment service Decant Index provided the analysis for these figures. Mark Kent, Chief Executive of the Scotch Whisky Association, noted that it is said that form is temporary, but class is permanent. Scotch Whisky is an iconic product which appeals around the world, and the industry’s great resilience means that the long-term potential for continued growth is clear. He also mentioned the need for further government support behind the industry, stating it is within both the UK and Scottish Governments’ power to facilitate the supportive environment producers need.
What This Means
The analysis highlights how quickly established positions in the global Scotch market can change. India’s performance was influenced heavily by bulk shipments, but its continued expansion reinforces the long-term importance of the market to Scotch whisky. John Kennedy, Managing Director at Decant Index, stated that one year of falling exports to France should not be read as evidence of a lasting decline in demand. Germany’s growth is real, and the Netherlands has always mattered more than the consumption figures suggest because so much of what lands there does not stay there.
Consumer Takeaway
This release offers insight into the stability and reach of the Scotch whisky industry. The data confirms that despite fluctuations in specific regions like France, global availability remains robust with shipments reaching 163 markets. The shift in regional dominance from Asia Pacific to Europe, alongside strong performance in India and Germany, indicates a resilient market structure for consumers worldwide.
Source: Read the original article
