Heineken has announced plans to eliminate between 5,000 and 6,000 positions worldwide during the next two years as the brewing giant grapples with difficult trading conditions and softening demand for beer.
The job losses will affect as many as seven per cent of the Dutch company’s total workforce.
The brewer, whose portfolio includes Amstel and Birra Moretti alongside its flagship lager, revealed the restructuring as part of a broader cost-cutting drive aimed at boosting profitability.
Much of the reduction is expected to come through brewery closures and consolidation already underway, alongside merging smaller markets and bringing back-office functions under centralised control.
Heineken’s annual results published on Wednesday showed total sales volumes declining by 1.2 per cent across 2025, even as its namesake brand performed more strongly.
Group revenues dropped 4.7 per cent compared with the previous year, reaching €34.3 billion (£29.8billion), while operating profits fell 3.2 per cent to €3.4billion (£2.97billion).
A Heineken spokesperson previously said the company had kept price rises ‘as low as possible’ | GETTY
The company attributed much of the pressure to a weakening European beer market, where consumers have become increasingly sensitive to pricing.
Drinks volumes across the continent slid 3.4 per cent, with beer specifically experiencing a steeper 4.1 per cent decline.
These figures emerged despite positive momentum for several brands including Amstel, Murphy’s stout and Cruzcampo in the UK market.
Heineken’s UK division, headquartered in Edinburgh with additional operations in London, Manchester, Tadcaster, Hereford and Ledbury, currently employs approximately 2,100 staff.
The company also runs 2,400 pubs throughout Britain under its Star Pubs and Bars business.
However, the brewer has yet to confirm what impact the global restructuring will have on its British workforce.
Despite the wider European downturn, Heineken’s UK net revenues grew at “low single-digit” levels during the period.
The company said this improvement stemmed from shifts in purchasing patterns, with customers increasingly opting for its premium beer offerings.