2025
8
Germany Attitudes towards Low- and No-Alcohol Drinks Consumer Report 2025
2025-10-08T16:03:04+00:00
REP54EAAF0F_E8D5_4086_A70F_AA6D0E952620
2195
187492
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Report
en_GB
Alcohol abstinence is rising, with low- and no-alcohol brands primarily appealing to moderators. Focus on divorcing taste associations from standard alcoholic drinks, and redefining the social drinking occasion. Javier Munoz,…
Germany
Consumer Attitudes
Drinks
simple

Germany Attitudes towards Low- and No-Alcohol Drinks Consumer Report 2025

"Alcohol abstinence is rising, with low- and no-alcohol brands primarily appealing to moderators. Focus on divorcing taste associations from standard alcoholic drinks, and redefining the social drinking occasion."

Javier Munoz, Research - Mintel Reports

Javier Munoz, Research - Mintel Reports

Non- & Low-Alcohol Drinks Market — Trends & Insights

  • Alcohol consumption is decreasing in Germany, driven by health and economic pressures. One quarter of Germans now do not drink alcohol, up 3pp since 2024, reflecting intentions to improve physical health and the increasingly dispensable nature of alcohol during times of economic squeeze.
  • Adjacent categories pose strong competition to low-/no-alcohol drinks. Fruit juice and carbonated soft drinks act as natural alternatives for consumers moderating alcohol intake, meaning low-/no-alcohol brands must contend with competition beyond alcoholic mimicry.
  • There is an opportunity to move beyond imitation by leaning into refreshment and flavour. Low-/no-alcohol brands can counter adjacent categories by tapping into the trend for refreshing summer drinks, utilising fruit’s natural flavours.
  • Shifting social norms and health priorities create space for empowerment-led positioning. While peer pressure to drink remains an issue, low-/no-alcohol brands — alongside government efforts — can help re-mould societal attitudes, empowering consumers to enjoy any drink without justification, supported by health-related trends favouring drinks with inherent isotonic properties that help reduce hangovers and ‘hangxiety’.

Key Issues Covered in the Report

  • Alcohol reduction and consumption trends, with one quarter of Germans not
  • drinking alcohol
  • Usage of alcoholic, low- and no-alcohol drinks, with usage relatively stable
    over the past few years
  • Change in consumption of low- and no-alcohol drinks, and the role
    abstinence plays in supporting no-alcohol drink sales
  • Motivation to choose a low- or no-alcohol drink over an alcoholic one, and
    the importance of brands supporting a healthy lifestyle without making overt
    health claims
  • Attitudes and behaviours relating to low- and no-alcohol drinks, and how to
    reduce the impact of societal pressure to drink alcohol
  • Key new product development trends in the category
Collapse All
  1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

    • What you need to know
    • Opportunities
    • Outlook
  2. OPPORTUNITIES

    • Advance the category taste beyond just mimicry
    • Pique taste curiosity using fruit’s natural flavours
    • Embrace new taste and functionality for traditionally high-alcohol drinks
    • Spark AI suggests how to incorporate exciting, unexpected flavour
    • Emphasise the benefits of alcohol avoidance
    • Support health-related trends with low-sugar, low-alcohol and isotonic variants
    • Highlight the holistic benefits of alcohol avoidance
    • Heineken campaign highlights that you don’t need a reason to drink non-alcoholic drinks
    • Encourage safer, more responsible socialising
    • Endorse responsible drink education with alcohol-free drinks
    • Reduce incidences of ‘hangxiety’ with low-/no-alcohol drinks
  3. THE CONSUMER

    • Alcohol consumption and reduction trends
    • Just a quarter of Germans don’t drink
    • The low-/no-alcohol drink category struggles to capitalise on alcohol moderation
    • Two fifths don’t drink alcohol due to disliking its taste
    • Graph 1: reasons for not drinking alcohol, 2025
    • Issues with taste may provide an explanation for the relatively low uptake amongst women
    • Graph 2: consumption of different types of low/no/standard alcoholic drinks, 2025
    • Usage of alcoholic, low- and no-alcohol drinks
    • Over three-quarters of Germans consume low-/no-alcohol drinks
    • Graph 3: consumption of low/no/standard alcoholic drinks (NET), 2025
    • Beer is the most popular alcoholic and low/no beverage
    • Graph 4: consumption of low/no/standard alcoholic drinks, by type, 2025
    • Isotonic alcohol-free beer must also meet taste expectations
    • Graph 5: consumption of beer, low-alcohol beer and alcohol-free beer, 2025
    • Alcohol-free wine goes beyond just red, white and rosé
    • Improve taste messaging to address low uptake of low-/no-alcohol spirits
    • Repertoire
    • Graph 6: repertoire of consumption of no-alcohol drinks in the last three months, 2023 vs 2025
    • Graph 7: repertoire of consumption of low-alcohol drinks in the last three months, 2023 vs 2025
    • Curiosity can encourage greater uptake of low-/no-alcohol drinks
    • Change in usage of low- and no-alcohol drinks
    • No-alcohol drinks gain traction amidst the shift towards abstinence
    • A quarter of consumers are drinking more no-alcohol drinks in 2025
    • Graph 8: consumption of non-alcoholic/alcohol-free drinks compared to a year ago, 2025
    • Motivation to choose a low- or no-alcohol drink over an alcoholic one
    • Over a third choose low-/no-alcohol over alcoholic, believing ‘it’s safer to stay sober’
    • Graph 9: motivation to choose a low- or no-alcohol drink over an alcoholic one in the last three months, 2025
    • Health-related benefits could deliver more motivation
    • Highlight how low/no drinks can be less damaging to health compared to alcohol
    • Alcohol-free drinks can deliver hydration to stave off hangovers
    • Focus on the holistic benefits of sugar reduction – not just weight management
    • Attitudes and behaviours
    • Societal pressures around alcohol continue to affect Germans
    • Increased acceptance of low/no drinks struggles to erode peer pressure
    • Graph 10: sense of belonging felt by using the same brands as friends/family, 2024
    • Consumers are curious, but familiarity is likely to convert to purchase
    • Potential to attract non-users with product trial
    • Graph 11: behaviour towards low-/no-alcohol drinks, by user/non-user, 2025
    • General feeling that low-/no-alcohol drinks should cost less
    • Graph 12: attitudes towards low-/no-alcohol drinks, 2025
    • Sparkling wine is the third-most-popular low-/no-alcohol drink
    • Category consumers attach greater value to low-/no-alcohol alternatives
    • Communicate why low-/no-alcohol drinks are more valuable
  4. INNOVATION

    • Launches of alcohol-free drinks show signs of continued growth in the first half of 2025
    • Beer and wine dominate low-/no-alcohol launch activity
    • Graph 13: alcoholic drink launches with no/low-alcohol claims, by sub-category, 2022-25
    • Low-/no-alcohol launch activity focuses on new varieties to indicate novelty
    • Graph 14: alcoholic drink launches, by launch type and low-/no-alcohol claims, 2022-25
    • New varieties in 2025 target summer refreshment
    • Strong share of low-/no-alcohol drinks make environmentally friendly package claims
    • Graph 15: alcoholic drink launches, by selected claims and low-/no-alcohol claims, 2022-25
    • Conscious packaging can lessen the environmental impact of production
    • Organic claims can enhance low-/no-alcohol drinks’ health positioning
    • Private label continues to be squeezed out of the low-/no-alcohol market
    • Graph 16: launch share of low-/no-alcohol drinks, branded vs private-label, 2020-25
    • Aperitif and liqueur innovation combines the old with the new
    • Isotonic low-/no-alcohol drinks can appeal to active Germans
    • Utilise fruit’s natural flavouring to boost low/no alternatives’ appeal
  5. Market drivers

    • Alcoholic beverages’ CPI is relatively stable, yet finances restrict consumption
    • Graph 17: consumer price index for alcoholic beverages, 2024-25
    • Brewing industry in slight decline, yet alcohol-free consumption continues to grow
    • Graph 18: number of breweries in operation and beer sales in m litres, 2014-24
    • DGE recommends abstinence, which can help reduce alcohol-related incidents
    • Expect healthy ageing desires…
    • …to reduce the prominence of alcohol consumption
    • Government opposition builds against supervised drinking
  6. APPENDIX

    • Report scope and definitions
    • Market definition
    • Abbreviations
    • Methodology – consumer research
    • Consumer research methodology
    • A note on language

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