Buzz-Free Drinking? The Rise Of Non-Alcoholic Beer

As the brewing industry is still recovering from the aftershock of the Covid-19 pandemic, alcohol-free beer has become one of the bright spots in a troubled beer sector.

And while buzz-free beer still accounts for just over 5 percent of global beer revenues, Statista's Felix Richter reports that it has outgrown the alcoholic beer segment by a wide margin for the better part of the past decade, delivering double-digit growth in four of the past five years, with 2020 the only exception.

As the following chart based on data from Statist Market Insights shows, the non-alcoholic beer segment is poised for strong growth in the years ahead.

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Having long been neglected by the industry, non-alcoholic beer is now viewed as an opportunity by brewers, which are continuously extending their selection of low and no-alcohol choices in response to growing customer demand.

“Consumers are increasingly looking for healthy hydration and a tasty, adult refreshment with lower or no-alcohol content to enjoy on any occasion,” the world’s second-largest brewing group Heineken recently noted in its annual report.

“As this global consumer trend for health and wellness continues, we see a great future for low-calorie and non-alcoholic beer,” the report concludes.

Following a small setback in 2020 due to Covid-related lockdowns and lifestyle changes, which hit the out-of-home segment particularly hard, the industry is back on track and expected to see solid growth this year and in the years ahead. By 2028, Statista expects global sales of non-alcoholic beer to reach $50 billion, more than double the 2020 figure.