In 2024, Scotch Whisky Exports Were Up

The international market for whisky (and whiskey) is often volatile, with governmental policy and shifting tastes leading to changes in who’s drinking what over time. The latest export data from the Scotch Whisky Association provides a fascinating look at the export market for Scotch, which — at least in 2024 — could accurately be described as “contradictory.”

Let’s start with the bright spots, starting with India. Sales to the Indian market were up 15% by volume from 2023 to 2024; the quantity of Scotch exported there placed it highest overall in that category as well.

India was also ranked fifth-highest in terms of the value of the Scotch exported there, but it was also the only market in the top five that saw year-over-year growth from 2023 to 2024. (Which may go hand-in-hand with India’s growing domestic single malt market.) Distilleries sold more Scotch to the U.S., France, Singapore and Taiwan in 2024 — but less to each market than they had the previous year.

“[E]xports to traditionally strong markets in the EU and North America have become much more challenging,” said Mark Evans, the Scottish Whiskey Association’s Chief Executive, in a statement. Still, there were some encouraging signs: distilleries saw year-over-year growth in both the value and volume of Scotch sold to Japan and Spain between 2023 and 2024. For some others, the signals were somewhat mixed: the U.S. and France both saw increases in the overall volume exported to them even as the value dropped.

Turkey featured in the top 10 markets for exports in terms of both value and volume, with both showing significant growth from 2023 to 2024. The value of Scotch exported there was up 37% year to year, while the volume was up by 14%.

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Overall, distillers exported £5.4 billion worth of Scotch (around $6.8 billion) in 2024. That figure is down 3.7% from 2023, while the overall volume of Scotch exported is up 3.9%. Depending on how you’re measuring things, things look a bit better if you compare these figures with 2019, with 2024 exports up in both volume and value from where they were five years earlier.