The world’s thirst for whisky has seen exports of Scotland’s national drink soar over the past decade, official figures show.
Volume sales of the drink rocketed by 32% between 2002 and 2012, the Scottish Government said yesterday after studying data from HM Revenue and Customs,
Scotch whisky exports in 2012 were worth £4.3billion – an 87% increase from a decade earlier, with much of the growth coming in the last five years.
Further growth in overseas demand during 2013 was revealed in figures from trade body the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) earlier this year.
SWA announced an 11% year-on-year rise in the value of exports in the first half of the year, to nearly £2billion. In the latest of a raft of positive economic reports to round off 2103, the government said its analysis highlighted the importance of one of Scotland’s most iconic products.
Food and Drink Minister Richard Lochhead said: “I’ve made growing the food and drink industry one of my main priorities since coming to office and I’m particularly pleased that these results show a 51% rise in the value of exports since 2007.
“We export to 173 countries, from the United States, which has more than doubled its spend on our national drink, Brazil and China to Bermuda, Papua New Guinea and the Vatican City. This exemplifies how important Scotch whisky is not only to the Scottish economy but to our deserved reputation as a land of food and drink.”
He added: “It’s estimated that up to 50million people worldwide can claim Scottish ancestry, and many more have a connection with Scotland through visiting, working or studying in Scotland.
“I have no doubt that some of them will be raising a glass of Scotland’s finest as they bid a fond farewell to 2013 and look forward to the opportunities that 2014 can bring.”
The US has consistently been the top market for whisky by value, accounting for £302.5million of exports in 2002 and sales worth just under £758million in 2012.
In 2012, the top five markets by value were the US, France, Singapore, Spain and Germany.