Benchmark
How's the Economy Doing? Look at Beer Sales
Rising incomes and young populations are boosting beer sales in much of developing Asia
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Figuring out where an economy's going to go can be tricky. You could look at GDP growth trends, home sales, company earnings forecasts -- and still have only a vague idea. But there's another gauge that is perhaps a more accurate indicator: beer sales.
Beer sales in much of the developed world including the U.S. and Western Europe have fallen flat in recent years. They've been sliding for more than a decade in Japan, and are at a more than 60-year low in Australia as aging consumers swig whisky and wine. In contrast, the suds are surging in many developing Asian nations on rising incomes, younger populations and improving distribution.