XML 34 R23.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT v3.25.4
Intangible assets
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2025
Text Block1 [Abstract]  
Intangible assets
15. Intangible assets
 
    
31 December 2025
    
 31 December 2024 
 
Million US dollar
  
Brands
    
Commercial
intangibles
    
Software
    
Other
    
Total
    
Total
 
                                                       
Acquisition cost
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
Balance at end of previous year
  
 
37 040
 
  
 
2 281
 
  
 
5 438
 
  
 
93
    
 
44 852
 
  
 
46 080
 
Effect of movements in foreign exchange
  
 
1 591
 
  
 
129
 
  
 
491
 
  
 
31
 
  
 
2 242
 
  
 
(2 065)
 
Acquisitions through business combinations
  
 
13
 
  
 
-
 
  
 
-
 
  
 
-
 
  
 
13
  
 
-
 
Acquisitions and expenditures
  
 
11
 
  
 
563
  
 
641
  
 
2
  
 
1 217
 
  
 
1 069
 
Disposals through sale and derecognition
  
 
(19)
 
  
 
(367)
 
  
 
(395)
 
  
 
(13)
 
  
 
(794)
 
  
 
(473)
 
Transfer (to)/from other asset categories and other movements¹
  
 
(67)
 
  
 
(11)
 
  
 
4
  
 
(9)
 
  
 
(83)
 
  
 
240
Balance at end of period
  
 
38 569
 
  
 
2 595
 
  
 
6 179
 
  
 
104
    
 
47 447
 
  
 
44 852
 
                                                       
Amortization and impairment losses
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
Balance at end of previous year
  
 
(91)
 
  
 
(1 362)
 
  
 
(3 283)
 
  
 
(81)
 
  
 
(4 818)
 
  
 
(4 794)
 
Effect of movements in foreign exchange
  
 
(1)
 
  
 
(96)
 
  
 
(317)
 
  
 
(17)
 
  
 
(432)
 
  
 
470
 
Amortization
  
 
-
 
  
 
(250)
 
  
 
(701)
 
  
 
(23)
 
  
 
(974)
 
  
 
(845)
 
Impairment
  
 
(4)
 
  
 
-
 
  
 
(8)
 
  
 
(3)
 
  
 
(15)
 
  
 
(17)
 
Disposals through sale and derecognition
  
 
7
 
  
 
367
 
  
 
393
 
  
 
12
 
  
 
779
 
  
 
471
 
Transfer to/(from) other asset categories and other movements¹
  
 
(2)
 
  
 
9
 
  
 
(44)
 
  
 
34
 
  
 
(3)
 
  
 
(103)
 
Balance at end of period
  
 
(91)
 
  
 
(1 332)
 
  
 
(3 960)
 
  
 
(79)
 
  
 
(5 462)
 
  
 
(4 818)
 
                                                       
Carrying value
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
at 31 December 2024
  
 
36 948
 
  
 
919
    
 
2 155
 
  
 
12
    
 
40 034
 
  
 
40 034
 
at 31 December 2025
  
 
38 478
 
  
 
1 263
 
  
 
2 219
 
  
 
25
 
  
 
41 985
 
  
 
 
 
AB InBev is the owner of some of the world’s most valuable brands in the beer industry. As a result, brands and certain distribution rights are expected to generate positive cash flows for as long as the company owns the brands and distribution rights. Given AB InBev’s more than 600-year history, brands and certain distribution rights have been assigned indefinite lives.
Acquisitions and expenditures of commercial intangibles mainly represent supply and distribution rights, exclusive multi-year sponsorship rights and other commercial intangibles.
Intangible assets with indefinite useful lives are comprised primarily of brands and certain distribution rights that AB InBev purchased for its own products and are tested for impairment once a year or whenever a triggering event has occurred. Based on the impairment testing results, no impairment loss was allocated to intangible assets with indefinite useful lives – refer to Note 14
Goodwill.
As of 31 December 2025, the carrying amount of the intangible assets amounted to 41 985m US dollar (31 December 2024: 40 034m US dollar) of which 38 478m US dollar was assigned an indefinite useful life (31 December 2024: 36 948m US dollar) and 3 507m US dollar a finite life (31 December 2024: 3 086m US dollar).
 
 
1
The transfer (to)/from other asset categories and other movements mainly relates to transfers from assets under construction to their respective asset categories, to the separate presentation in the statement of financial position of intangible assets held for sale in accordance with IFRS 5
Non-current assets held for sale and discontinued operations
and to the restatement of non-monetary assets under hyperinflation accounting in line with IAS 29
Financial reporting in hyperinflationary economies
.
 
Million US dollar
Cash-generating unit
  
2025
    
      2024
 
                   
United States
  
 
21 866
  
 
21 872
Rest of North America
  
 
39
  
 
37
Mexico
  
 
3 410
  
 
3 027
Colombia
  
 
3 045
  
 
2 586
Rest of Middle Americas
  
 
3 798
  
 
3 535
Rest of South America
  
 
797
  
 
806
Europe
  
 
399
  
 
370
South Africa
  
 
2 900
  
 
2 558
Rest of Africa
  
 
901
  
 
861
China
  
 
399
  
 
383
Rest of Asia Pacific
  
 
923
  
 
913
Total carrying amount of intangible assets with indefinite useful lives
  
 
38 478
    
 
36 948
 
In 2025, the company expensed 194m US dollar in research, compared to 222m US dollar in 2024, 256m US dollar in 2023. The spend focused on product innovations, market research, as well as process optimization and product
development
.