The biggest Scotch export markets by volume 2023

All but one market decreased their Scotch whisky imports last year and there’s been a switch around at the top of the biggest export market leader board.

Yesterday (19 February), the top 10 biggest export markets for Scotch whisky by value were ranked from 10 to one, as reported by the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA).

Total export figures fell to £5.6 billion (US$7bn) from 2022 to 2023, with exports by volume ending the year at 1.35bn 700ml bottles.

While much of the volume data comparing 2023 with 2022 showed Scotch whisky exports in decline, the majority of the top 10 markets have increased their imports when compared with pre-pandemic 2019.

Below, SB counts down the top 10 markets by volume, according to SWA data.

10. Mexico

Exports by volume to Mexico have dropped by more than a third since 2019, when the volume was 51 million bottles. In 2023, total volume exports to Mexico dropped by 30% to 34m bottles.

9. Turkey

The only region to grow its export volume in 2023 was Turkey. The country imported 31% more bottles of Scotch whisky in 2023 – 41m to be exact. Compared with 2019, this represents a 177% increase up from 15m bottles.

8. Brazil

Exports by volume to Brazil more than halved (-54%) in 2023, dropping from 93m bottles in 2022 to 43m in 2023. This puts last year’s export volume 1% below the 2019 level (43m).

7. Poland

Last year, 45m bottles were exported to Poland, 6% lower than the 49m in 2022. However, exports remain up (39%) compared with 2019 when 33m bottles were exported.

6. Spain

Export figures remained just above the 2019 level last year. Spain imported 58m bottles of Scotch whisky in 2023, a 14% decrease compared with 67m in 2022. Last year’s volume was 2% higher than 2019 (57m).

5. Germany

Since 2019, Scotch exports to Germany have increased by a fifth (20%). Germany ended 2023 having imported 59m bottles of Scotch, 12% below the 67m in 2022.

4. Japan

After importing 75m bottles in 2022, 20% fewer bottles were shipped in 2023, bringing Japan’s export volume back down to 60m bottles, 1% lower than 2019 (60m).

3. US

An inventory surplus in the US has been cited as the key reason why exports fell by 7% in 2023 to 127m bottles. By comparison, 137m bottles were exported to the States in 2022.

2. India

The Indian market fell from the number-one export market for Scotch by volume in 2022 to its second-biggest last year. Exports to India dropped by 24% in 2023 from 219m bottles in 2022 to 167m last year. This does, however, mark a 28% increase compared with 2019 when volume reached 131m bottles.

1. France

The second-biggest market by value has reclaimed its title as the number-one market by volume for Scotch whisky exports: France. However, export volumes fell by 15% from 205m in 2022 to 174m in 2023. The country is still up on pre-pandemic levels (4%), however, with 173m bottles imported in 2019.