Barley Market Size & Share 2026-2035

Barley Market Size

The global barley market was valued at USD 22.1 billion in 2025. The market is expected to grow from USD 22.7 billion in 2026 to USD 30.1 billion in 2035, at a CAGR of 3.2% according to latest report published by Global Market Insights Inc.

• The global barley market is witnessing steady growth, driven by evolving demand patterns across brewing, food, and feed industries. A key trend shaping the market is the increasing demand for high-quality malting barley from the craft and specialty beer segment.
• Rich in soluble fiber and beta-glucan, barley is increasingly incorporated into cereals, snacks, and beverages targeting health-conscious consumers. This shift is especially visible in urban markets, where demand for plant-based and heart-healthy products is rising, expanding barley’s role in the global food industry.
• Two-rowed barley dominates the market with a 65% share in 2025, primarily due to its suitability for malting applications. Six-rowed barley is widely used in animal feed, while hull-less barley is gaining traction in food applications due to its higher nutritional value.
• By product form, whole grain barley leads the market, supported by increasing health awareness, while malted barley remains essential for brewing. Barley flour, flakes, and bran are also gaining popularity in food and nutraceutical applications.
• By application, the feed segment holds the largest share, driven by strong demand from livestock industries. The beverages segment remains a major contributor, while food applications are expanding rapidly due to rising health awareness.
• Regionally, Europe leads the market with a 38% share, supported by a strong brewing industry. Asia Pacific is the fastest-growing region due to population growth and rising consumption, while North America shows stable demand. Latin America and the Middle East & Africa present emerging growth opportunities driven by feed demand and increasing investments.
• Breweries are seeking specific protein and enzyme characteristics to develop differentiated flavor profiles, which is encouraging farmers to cultivate specialized barley varieties. This trend is particularly prominent in North America and Europe and is strengthening supply chain collaboration and innovation in malting processes.

Barley Market Trends

The rising demand from special and craft beer markets for high quality malting barley varieties with specific protein/enzyme properties continues to drive farmers’ interest in producing specialized malting barley varieties. As breweries look for differentiated raw material inputs to produce unique flavor profiles, this growing trend is fostering innovation in malting and enhancing supply chain collaboration between various stakeholders, particularly in North America and Europe.

Barley's functional ingredient status is gaining increased attention as it has high levels of soluble fiber and other forms of betaglucan compared to other grains and is being used by food manufacturers in cereals, snacks, and beverages designed to cater to health-conscious consumers. The trend of using barley as an ingredient is pronounced in urban areas due to the rising demand for plant-based and heart-healthy products, driving innovation and creating more opportunities for barley to be available in the global food supply.

Barley Market Analysis

Based on barley type, the market is segmented into six-rowed barley, two-rowed barley, and hull-less (naked) barley. Two-rowed barley dominated with a market share of 65% in 2025 and is expected to grow with a CAGR of 3.6 % by 2035.

• The malting segment is predominantly accounted for by two-row barley which has regularity in kernel size and the lowest protein content of all s; thus making it ideal for brews.
• Six-row barley, on the other hand, is primarily used for livestock feed because it has higher protein levels and flexibility in growing conditions. Hulless barleys are rapidly growing in popularity for food applications because they contain more nutrients and are more easily processed.
• All barleys will experience growth as the demands of food, feed and beverage companies continue to change and as new breeding technologies produce a higher yield, increased disease resistance or improved adaptability to environmental conditions.

Based on product form, the barley market is segmented into whole grain, malted barley, pearled/pot barley, barley flour, barley flakes, and barley bran. Whole grain based hold the market value of USD 9.9 billion in 2025 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 1.4% during 2026-2035.

• Whole grain and pearled barley are also being increasingly used in foods because of the growing trend of eating healthier. Barley flour and flakes are also becoming more common in the bakery/breakfast markets. Barley bran has also turned into a functional ingredient in the nutraceutical industry.
• The growth of barley's product diversity is allowing manufacturers to serve diverse consumer preferences as well as meet the needs of a variety of industries. There are also ongoing innovations being developed through processing techniques to increase product longevity, improve nutritional content, and increase application flexibility within the food sector and the beverage sector.

Based on application, the barley market is segmented into feed, food, beverages/malting, and other. Feed hold the market value of USD 12.7 billion in 2025 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 2% during 2026-2035.

• Applications in the feed category have historically represented the largest proportion of all barley usages; as the primary component of livestock rations, feed is a key driver of demand for malting barley, particularly in areas where there are large livestock sectors.
• The beverage sector has been the second largest application of malting barley, however, demand from this segment continues to represent a significant portion of total demand for malting barley.
• Consumer demand for food products made with or containing barley has increased significantly as consumers become more aware of the health benefits associated with barley consumption. Industrial applications are emerging as a high potential for growth.

The North America barley market is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 2% during the analysis timeframe.

• Demand for feed and brewing industries continues to drive the North American barley industry. The US and Canada are large producers with advanced agricultural technologies and developed systems of supply that enable them to produce high-quality malting barley.
• The North American barley market is increasingly influenced by changes in climate, consumption patterns for beer and other beverage products, along with the need for all actors throughout the barley value chain to create alternative food and specialty barley products. 

The Europe barley industry is growing rapidly on the global level with a market share of 38% in 2025.

• Europe is the dominant barley market globally, providing significant quantities of barley to the international market mainly due to its well-established brewing industry and favourable agro-climatic conditions.
• Barley production and export activity is concentrated in Germany, France, and the United Kingdom. Both quality and sustainability are critical aspects of the production of malting barley. The European barley market is supported by well-established regulatory frameworks and innovative processing technologies.
• As consumer trends towards premium products continue, many consumers will seek out premium-quality bottled and canned beverages again thus continuing the demand for barley ingredients.

Asia Pacific barley market leads with revenue of USD 5.5 billion in 2025 and is anticipated to show lucrative growth over the forecast period.

• In the Asia-Pacific region, barley is rapidly growing due largely to the rise in population size, an increase in disposable income levels, and an increase in beer consumption. China and India are two key industries experiencing growth from both feed and food application demand.
• Many of the countries within the region do not produce enough barley domestically to fulfil their requirements so therefore rely heavily on imports to fill this demand gap. The biggest drivers of future growth potential due to increasing urbanization, changing dietary patterns and the increasing awareness of the health benefits offered by barley.

Latin America barley accounted for 7% market share in 2025 and is anticipated to show highest growth over the forecast period.

• Latin America provides opportunities for emerging barley markets due largely to the increase in agricultural production and demand for consumption of animal feed and beverages across the region.
• Brazil and Argentina provide some of the most significant contributions to the growth of barley production in the region with increasing capability to produce quality products.
• The region has access to relatively cheap land; however, the main challenges hindering growth include infrastructure constraints and market volatility. The expected outcome will be further investments and new trade opportunities to drive future growth in the region.

Middle East & Africa barley accounted for 12% market share in 2025 and is anticipated to show lucrative growth over the forecast period.

• The Middle East and Africa (MEA) region demonstrates a strong demand for barley grain for use in animal feed due to the lack of domestic production capability. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is one of the largest consumers of barley grain globally and remains fully dependent upon imports to fill domestic consumption needs.
• Local barley production is constrained due to water shortages and/or climatic conditions not conducive for producing barley. However, with the growth of existing agricultural technologies and improving supply chain performance, the accessibility and stability of these markets is forecasted to improve as a result of additional investment.

Barley Market Share

The top 5 companies in barley industry include Malteries Soufflet, Boortmalt Group, Malteurop Groupe, Mutons`S Plc, Maltexco S.A.. These are prominent companies operating in their respective regions covering approximately 17.9% of the market share in 2025. These companies hold strong positions due to their extensive experience in barley market. Their diverse product portfolios, backed by robust production capabilities and distribution networks, enable them to meet the rising demand across various regions.

• Malteries Soufflet is an international malt company with a significant share of the European and emerging malt barley industry, focusing on high quality malting barley purchasing practices, sustainable sourcing and superior processing, along with a wide variety of malt product offerings to brewers and to the food industry.
• Boormtalt Group is one of the world’s largest malt manufacturing companies, with an extensive barley sourcing and malting facility footprint. They have strong sourcing procedures and traceability, as well as -innovation in the malting process, with a focus on using best practices and providing superior malts to brewers and distillers in many parts of the world.
• Malteurop is a major player in the barley value chain, producing both malt for the brewing and distilling industries through strong partnerships with farmers, a global barley sourcing network and extensive technical knowledge - maintaining a consistent supply of superior quality malt products.
• Muntons Plc is located in the UK and manufactures both malting products and malts for brewing purposes. They put emphasis on developing a sustainable business model through the development of natural resources and building strong agricultural relationships. They provide their customers with malted barley products that can be used in the production of craft beers or distilled spirits.
• Maltexco S.A. operates as a producer of malt in Chile, and they source barley using an integrative approach to both the growing and processing of the product. They primarily supply high quality malt to brewers, using their knowledge and understanding of both agricultural production and the geographical area to meet the demands of both domestic and international markets.

Barley Market Companies

Major players operating in the barley industry include:

• Malteries Soufflet
• Boortmalt Group
• Malteurop Groupe
• Crisp Malt
• Muntons Plc
• Simpsons Malt
• Rahr Malting
• Viking Malt
• Weyermann
• Bestmalz/Palatia Malz
• Dingemans Malt
• Castle Malting
• Malt Products Corporation
• Briess Malt & Ingredients
• Maltexco S.A.

Barley Industry News

• In 2026, AB InBev India hosted the 6th Annual Barley Growers Day in Rajasthan. This initiative aims to strengthen sustainable barley sourcing through its SmartBarley programme. It is also expected to enhance farmer resilience, improve malt-quality barley production, and expand the company’s domestic supply chain network in India.
• In 2022, Lactalis acquired Jalna dairy foods. This acquisition is aimed to expand the yogurt portfolio of Lactalis. This acquisition is also expected to increase the geographical expansion of the company.

This barley market research report includes in-depth coverage of the industry, with estimates & forecasts in terms of revenue (USD Billion) and volume (Kilo Tons) from 2025 to 2035, for the following segments:

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Market, By Barley Type

• Six-Rowed Barley
• Two-Rowed Barley
• Hull-less (Naked) Barley

Market, By Product Form

• Whole Grain
• Pearled/Pot Barley
• Barley Flour
• Barley Flakes
• Malted Barley
• Barley Bran

Market, By Application

• Food
• Feed
• Beverages/Malting
• Others

The above information is provided for the following regions and countries:

• North America
  • U.S.
  • Canada
• Europe
  • Germany
  • UK
  • France
  • Spain
  • Italy
  • Rest of Europe
• Asia Pacific
  • China
  • India
  • Japan
  • Australia
  • South Korea
  • Rest of Asia Pacific
• Latin America
  • Brazil
  • Mexico
  • Argentina
  • Rest of Latin America
• Middle East and Africa
  • Saudi Arabia
  • South Africa
  • UAE
  • Rest of Middle East and Africa