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16-08-2014, 07:19
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I've really had my title writing hat on this week. Today's is another classic. I'm continuing my Summer of Statistics with a comparison of German and UK beer production. I think it's instructive, But numbers are lego for me. I can happily play with them all day.
The numbers cover a really crucial period. That is when Germany first passed the UK to become the largest producer of beer in Europe. The odd war year excepted, I'm sure that's been the case ever since.It's symbolic of the emergence of Germany as both an economic and political force in the last decades of the 19th century. This is also when German industrial production outstripped Britain's.
There's one really weird feature of 19th-century British beer statistics. And it explains why the figures for UK output only begin in 1881. It also demonstrates the usual source of these numbers. Between 1830 and 1880 there are no accurate figures on British beer production, just guesses. The reason is simple: because there was no tax on beer in that period. As the government wasn't recording it for tax purposes, the number wasn't recorded. It's a bit of a bummer for me as it leaves a big hole in my tables. The best you can do is make an estimate from the quantity of malt used in brewing. You see that was recorded as malt was taxed. Number of quarters times 4 is the usual formula.
On with the tables. First ones showing the number of hectolitres brewed and the percentage change from the previous year:
Change in German beer production 1872 - 1900 (hl)
year
production
% change
year
production
% change
1872
32,945,000
1887
47,100,000
4.51%
1873
36,989,000
12.28%
1888
47,696,000
1.27%
1874
38,194,000
3.26%
1889
54,420,000
14.10%
1875
38,936,000
1.94%
1890
52,830,000
-2.92%
1876
38,857,000
-0.20%
1891
53,205,000
0.71%
1877
38,269,000
-1.51%
1892
54,780,000
2.96%
1878
37,425,000
-2.21%
1893
55,623,000
1.54%
1879
37,184,000
-0.64%
1894
55,369,000
-0.46%
1880
38,497,000
3.53%
1895
60,695,000
9.62%
1881
39,109,000
1.59%
1896
61,621,000
1.53%
1882
39,324,000
0.55%
1897
66,378,000
7.72%
1883
40,873,000
3.94%
1898
67,968,000
2.40%
1884
42,374,000
3.67%
1899
69,500,000
2.25%
1885
41,857,000
-1.22%
1900
70,857,000
1.95%
1886
45,068,000
7.67%
1881 - 1899
77.71%
Source:
"European Statistics 1750-1970" by B. R. Mitchell, 1978, pages 283 and 285.
Change in UK beer production 1872 - 1900 (hl)
year
production
% change
year
production
% change
1881
44,955,000
1891
52,757,000
1.26%
1882
45,057,000
0.23%
1892
52,470,000
-0.54%
1883
44,784,000
-0.61%
1893
52,520,000
0.10%
1884
46,036,000
2.80%
1894
52,743,000
0.42%
1885
45,176,000
-1.87%
1895
53,574,000
1.58%
1886
45,239,000
0.14%
1896
56,284,000
5.06%
1887
46,216,000
2.16%
1897
57,791,000
2.68%
1888
46,507,000
0.63%
1898
59,218,000
2.47%
1889
49,755,000
6.98%
1899
61,214,000
3.37%
1890
52,100,000
4.71%
1881 - 1899
36.17%
Source:
"European Statistics 1750-1970" by B. R. Mitchell, 1978, page 284.
1887. That's the year German beer production outstripped the UK's. It's nice to pinpoint that. In the period 1881 to 1899 German production increased by more than double the amount of the UK's. There are some other fascinating points. Like 1885 being a year of negative growth in both countries. And 1889 being a particularly good year in both. Also there were only three years between 1881 and 1899 in both countries when beer output fell.
Here's a graph of the same information:
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YfGmtFv2wXA/U-N9zBPrSzI/AAAAAAAAUUE/v_NMhx-6VIA/s1600/German_and_UK_beer_output_1872_1900.jpg (http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YfGmtFv2wXA/U-N9zBPrSzI/AAAAAAAAUUE/v_NMhx-6VIA/s1600/German_and_UK_beer_output_1872_1900.jpg)
The next set of tables show beer production per head of population:
German beer output per head 1872 - 1900
year
population
output (hl)
litres per head
1872
41,058,800
32,945,000
80.24
1874
42,000,000
38,194,000
90.94
1877
43,610,000
38,269,000
87.75
c1880
45,234,100
38,497,000
85.11
c1885
46,840,600
41,857,000
89.36
1888
48,170,000
47,696,000
99.02
1890
49,428,100
52,830,000
106.88
1893
50,760,000
55,623,000
109.58
1896
52,750,000
61,621,000
116.82
1900
56,356,200
70,857,000
125.73
2000
82,797,400
110,429,000
133.37
Sources:
European Statistics 1750-1970 by B. R. Mitchell, 1978, pages 283 and 285.
Deutscher Brauer-Bund Bonn
http://www.populstat.info/
UK beer output per head 1881 - 1900
year
population
output (hl)
litres per head
1881
34,934,476
44,955,000
128.68
1885
36,015,601
45,176,000
125.43
1891
37,802,381
52,757,000
139.56
1895
39,220,114
53,574,000
136.60
1900
41,154,646
60,726,112
147.56
2000
59,511,500
55,279,000
92.89
Sources:
Brewers' Almanack 1928, p. 110
European Statistics 1750-1970 by B. R. Mitchell, 1978, page 284.
Statistical Handbook of the British Beer & Pub Association 2005, p. 7
http://www.populstat.info/
The UK figure was about 50% higher in 1881, but by 1900 Germany was closing in fast. It's interesting to see that Germany's output per head was higher in 2000 than 1900, while the UK's was lower.
I've just about squeezed the last dropd of fun juice out of these numbers. I'll have to find some new ones.
More... (http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2014/08/beer-output-in-uk-and-germany-in-late.html)
I've really had my title writing hat on this week. Today's is another classic. I'm continuing my Summer of Statistics with a comparison of German and UK beer production. I think it's instructive, But numbers are lego for me. I can happily play with them all day.
The numbers cover a really crucial period. That is when Germany first passed the UK to become the largest producer of beer in Europe. The odd war year excepted, I'm sure that's been the case ever since.It's symbolic of the emergence of Germany as both an economic and political force in the last decades of the 19th century. This is also when German industrial production outstripped Britain's.
There's one really weird feature of 19th-century British beer statistics. And it explains why the figures for UK output only begin in 1881. It also demonstrates the usual source of these numbers. Between 1830 and 1880 there are no accurate figures on British beer production, just guesses. The reason is simple: because there was no tax on beer in that period. As the government wasn't recording it for tax purposes, the number wasn't recorded. It's a bit of a bummer for me as it leaves a big hole in my tables. The best you can do is make an estimate from the quantity of malt used in brewing. You see that was recorded as malt was taxed. Number of quarters times 4 is the usual formula.
On with the tables. First ones showing the number of hectolitres brewed and the percentage change from the previous year:
Change in German beer production 1872 - 1900 (hl)
year
production
% change
year
production
% change
1872
32,945,000
1887
47,100,000
4.51%
1873
36,989,000
12.28%
1888
47,696,000
1.27%
1874
38,194,000
3.26%
1889
54,420,000
14.10%
1875
38,936,000
1.94%
1890
52,830,000
-2.92%
1876
38,857,000
-0.20%
1891
53,205,000
0.71%
1877
38,269,000
-1.51%
1892
54,780,000
2.96%
1878
37,425,000
-2.21%
1893
55,623,000
1.54%
1879
37,184,000
-0.64%
1894
55,369,000
-0.46%
1880
38,497,000
3.53%
1895
60,695,000
9.62%
1881
39,109,000
1.59%
1896
61,621,000
1.53%
1882
39,324,000
0.55%
1897
66,378,000
7.72%
1883
40,873,000
3.94%
1898
67,968,000
2.40%
1884
42,374,000
3.67%
1899
69,500,000
2.25%
1885
41,857,000
-1.22%
1900
70,857,000
1.95%
1886
45,068,000
7.67%
1881 - 1899
77.71%
Source:
"European Statistics 1750-1970" by B. R. Mitchell, 1978, pages 283 and 285.
Change in UK beer production 1872 - 1900 (hl)
year
production
% change
year
production
% change
1881
44,955,000
1891
52,757,000
1.26%
1882
45,057,000
0.23%
1892
52,470,000
-0.54%
1883
44,784,000
-0.61%
1893
52,520,000
0.10%
1884
46,036,000
2.80%
1894
52,743,000
0.42%
1885
45,176,000
-1.87%
1895
53,574,000
1.58%
1886
45,239,000
0.14%
1896
56,284,000
5.06%
1887
46,216,000
2.16%
1897
57,791,000
2.68%
1888
46,507,000
0.63%
1898
59,218,000
2.47%
1889
49,755,000
6.98%
1899
61,214,000
3.37%
1890
52,100,000
4.71%
1881 - 1899
36.17%
Source:
"European Statistics 1750-1970" by B. R. Mitchell, 1978, page 284.
1887. That's the year German beer production outstripped the UK's. It's nice to pinpoint that. In the period 1881 to 1899 German production increased by more than double the amount of the UK's. There are some other fascinating points. Like 1885 being a year of negative growth in both countries. And 1889 being a particularly good year in both. Also there were only three years between 1881 and 1899 in both countries when beer output fell.
Here's a graph of the same information:
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YfGmtFv2wXA/U-N9zBPrSzI/AAAAAAAAUUE/v_NMhx-6VIA/s1600/German_and_UK_beer_output_1872_1900.jpg (http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YfGmtFv2wXA/U-N9zBPrSzI/AAAAAAAAUUE/v_NMhx-6VIA/s1600/German_and_UK_beer_output_1872_1900.jpg)
The next set of tables show beer production per head of population:
German beer output per head 1872 - 1900
year
population
output (hl)
litres per head
1872
41,058,800
32,945,000
80.24
1874
42,000,000
38,194,000
90.94
1877
43,610,000
38,269,000
87.75
c1880
45,234,100
38,497,000
85.11
c1885
46,840,600
41,857,000
89.36
1888
48,170,000
47,696,000
99.02
1890
49,428,100
52,830,000
106.88
1893
50,760,000
55,623,000
109.58
1896
52,750,000
61,621,000
116.82
1900
56,356,200
70,857,000
125.73
2000
82,797,400
110,429,000
133.37
Sources:
European Statistics 1750-1970 by B. R. Mitchell, 1978, pages 283 and 285.
Deutscher Brauer-Bund Bonn
http://www.populstat.info/
UK beer output per head 1881 - 1900
year
population
output (hl)
litres per head
1881
34,934,476
44,955,000
128.68
1885
36,015,601
45,176,000
125.43
1891
37,802,381
52,757,000
139.56
1895
39,220,114
53,574,000
136.60
1900
41,154,646
60,726,112
147.56
2000
59,511,500
55,279,000
92.89
Sources:
Brewers' Almanack 1928, p. 110
European Statistics 1750-1970 by B. R. Mitchell, 1978, page 284.
Statistical Handbook of the British Beer & Pub Association 2005, p. 7
http://www.populstat.info/
The UK figure was about 50% higher in 1881, but by 1900 Germany was closing in fast. It's interesting to see that Germany's output per head was higher in 2000 than 1900, while the UK's was lower.
I've just about squeezed the last dropd of fun juice out of these numbers. I'll have to find some new ones.
More... (http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2014/08/beer-output-in-uk-and-germany-in-late.html)