Eurostat data released on 31 August 2026 show EU breweries produced 34.4 billion litres of beer in 2025, with no-alcohol and low-alcohol beer (below 0.5% ABV) reaching 2.1 billion litres — just over 6% of total output for the first time. The shift is global, and China is at its centre.

IWSR data published in May 2026 show global beer volumes fell 1% in 2025, while no-alcohol beer grew 8%. Overall no-alcohol alternatives — beer, wine, spirits and RTDs — rose 9%, with beer contributing the largest share. Among buyers in ten major markets, 37% cited a "healthy lifestyle" as their primary reason for choosing no-alcohol beer, well ahead of curiosity (20%) and functional need (17%). IWSR's Susie Goldspink notes these products let moderating drinkers "fully participate in social occasions without feeling excluded."

Major brewers are treating the category as a growth engine. AB InBev's Q2 2026 no-alcohol beer revenue rose 27% year-on-year, against just 1.1% growth in core beer. Heineken's low- and no-alcohol volumes grew 12% in H1 2026, more than seven times its overall growth of 1.6%.

China leads the momentum. Global Market Insights data show the country's no-alcohol beer market grew from RMB 3 billion in 2020 to RMB 12 billion in 2024, a 45% compound annual growth rate, and is projected to reach RMB 17.58 billion in 2026. Urban white-collar workers aged 25–40 make up 54.3% of consumers, per Euromonitor. Yet offline penetration remains around 0.02%, with growth almost entirely online.

Local brewers have moved in tiers. Tsingtao leads — its 0.0% wheat beer won gold in the Classic No-Alcohol Ale/Lager category at the 2025 World Beer Cup, a first for mainland China. China Resources Beer and Heineken follow, with Heineken 0.0 available via e-commerce. Chongqing Brewery and Yanjing represent domestic innovation, the latter launching two no-alcohol products at the 2026 Beijing International Yanjing Beer Culture Festival. Independent craft brand NewZero won four medals at the August 2026 World Beer Awards, half of all Chinese no/low-alcohol medals.

As health awareness, tighter regulation and shifting generational preferences pressure traditional beer, the move from "alternative" to "essential" has only just begun.