Malted Barley Market Report 2026

The malted barley market size has grown steadily in recent years. It will grow from $4.01 billion in 2025 to $4.16 billion in 2026 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.5%. The growth in the historic period can be attributed to expansion of global beer and spirits production, rising popularity of craft brewing, availability of high-quality barley varieties, growth in malt-based food applications, development of commercial malting infrastructure.

The malted barley market size is expected to see steady growth in the next few years. It will grow to $4.96 billion in 2030 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.5%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to increasing demand from craft and premium beverage segments, rising use of malted barley in functional foods, expansion of distilling capacity in emerging markets, growing focus on sustainable barley sourcing, innovation in specialty malt varieties. Major trends in the forecast period include increasing demand for specialty and craft brewing malts, rising focus on quality-controlled malting processes, growing adoption of customized malt profiles, expansion of malt usage in food applications, enhanced emphasis on traceability and consistency.

The rising demand for beer is anticipated to support the growth of the malted barley market in the coming years. Beer is an alcoholic beverage produced through the fermentation of grains, most commonly malted barley, along with water, yeast, and hops. Malted barley plays a crucial role in beer production by providing the enzymes required to break down complex carbohydrates in the grain into simple sugars, which are then fermented by yeast. For example, in April 2024, BeverageDaily.com, a UK-based online publication, reported that small and independent brewers produced a combined total of 23.4 million barrels of beer in 2023. Craft beer’s share of the overall market rose to 13.3% by volume, compared with 13.1% in 2022. Therefore, the increasing demand for beer is contributing to the expansion of the malted barley market going forward.

Major players in the malted barley industry are embracing strategic partnerships to drive significant growth. Strategic partnerships involve companies leveraging each other's strengths and resources for mutual benefit and success. For example, in August 2023, Voyager Craft Malt, an Australia-based artisanal malt producer, collaborated with Cryer Malt, another Australia-based supplier serving the craft and premium brewing sectors in Australia and New Zealand. This partnership aims to launch Dexter Malt, which will be made from certified sustainable Australian barley, demonstrating a shared commitment to sustainability and reflecting the increasing market preference for eco-friendly malted barley products. By joining forces, these leading maltsters not only introduce innovation but also underscore the importance of certified sustainable barley, enhancing the quality and efficiency of malted barley products while meeting the growing consumer demand for sustainable options in the malted barley market.

In February 2024, Viking Malt Ab, a Denmark-based manufacturer of malted barley, entered into a partnership with Improvin’ AB. This collaboration aims to enhance Viking Malt's portfolio by leveraging Improvin's expertise in utilizing precise field-level data to measure and minimize the carbon footprint of their malting barley, while also monitoring activities that support biodiversity. Improvin’ AB is a Sweden-based company that specializes in services designed to reduce the carbon footprint associated with malting barley production.

Major companies operating in the malted barley market are Boortmalt Group, Malteurop Group, Viking Malt, Simpsons Malt Ltd., Muntons Malt plc, Crisp Malting Group Ltd., Weyermann Malz, Castle Malting S.A., Bairds Malt, Briess Malt & Ingredients Co., Rahr Corporation, GrainCorp Malt, United Canadian Malt Ltd., Great Western Malting Co., Bestmalz AG, Gladfield Malt, Thomas Fawcett & Sons Ltd., The Swaen Malts, Mouterij Dingemans, Malting Company of Ireland, Imperial Malt Ltd., Shanxi Huaxiang Group Co Ltd.

Europe was the largest region in the malted barley market in 2025. North America is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the global malted barley market during the forecast period. The regions covered in the malted barley market report are Asia-Pacific, South East Asia, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East and Africa. The countries covered in the malted barley market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Italy, Spain, Canada.

The malted barley market consists of sales of winter barley, spring barley, malt flour, and malt extracts. Values in this market are ‘factory gate’ values, that is the value of goods sold by the manufacturers or creators of the goods, whether to other entities (including downstream manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, and retailers) or directly to end customers. The value of goods in this market includes related services sold by the creators of the goods.

The market value is defined as the revenues that enterprises gain from the sale of goods and/or services within the specified market and geography through sales, grants, or donations in terms of the currency (in USD unless otherwise specified).

The revenues for a specified geography are consumption values that are revenues generated by organizations in the specified geography within the market, irrespective of where they are produced. It does not include revenues from resales along the supply chain, either further along the supply chain or as part of other products.

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