Definition: China wine consumption

China will consume more wine than France in 10 years (2027).

The Middle Kingdom will rise from fifth to first place by 2027, according to a Coface barometer published on Wednesday 9 December 2015. Urbanisation, the rise of the middle classes and the desire to converge with European standards explain this growth.

One might think that France is the leading wine-consuming country. Not so. The title actually goes to the United States, which consumed 30 million hectolitres of wine in 2013, compared to 29 million for the French, according to the most recent statistics released by the OIV (International Organisation of Vine and Wine). But in just under fifteen years, neither France nor the United States will be at the top of the podium. The top spot will in fact be taken by China by 2027, according to a barometer published by Coface. While in^{the 20th} century wine consumption was still reserved for an elite few, rosé, red and white wines are increasingly being drunk in the Middle Kingdom, currently the world's fifth largest consumer.

Rise of the middle class

By 2025, China's consumption will exceed that of France. And two years later, it will even exceed that of the United States. This is mainly due to the rise of the Chinese middle class. "According to an OECD study, the number of households with an annual income exceeding $35,000 is expected to triple in China by 2022," explains Coface (French insurance company for foreign trade, founded in 1946).

So, even if Chinese growth is slowing down (it is expected to be around 5% over the period 2020-2025), the rise of the middle class and urbanisation will clearly benefit wine consumption.

The "class" effect is at play, as according to the Coface study, 39% of Chinese consumers drink wine because the beverage reflects "sophisticated modern people". Furthermore, Chinese consumers are currently young (40% of them are aged between 18 and 29), suggesting a certain degree of customer loyalty over time. Added to this is the desire among Chinese people to "converge towards European standards", according to Coface.

"In China, the outlook for wine consumption is bright, even if this market seems to be entering a new phase of normalisation," the study concludes.

N.B.: There is a fear that by then, Europeans, who no longer pass on table manners and customs, will no longer know how to hold a stemmed glass properly, as this young Chinese woman does so perfectly. A stemmed glass should be held by the stem and never by the bowl. It is inelegant, leaves marks and unnecessarily warms the wine. Let it be known!