This report examines consumer usage of and attitudes towards low-/no-alcohol drinks. In the consumer research, this was defined to survey respondents as: ‘drinks designed as an alternative to standard alcoholic drinks. This includes lower- and non-alcoholic/alcohol-free beer, cider, wine and pre-mixed drinks as well as soft drinks designed specifically as an alternative to alcoholic drinks (eg Seedlip non-alcoholic spirit).’
UK Low- and No-Alcohol Drinks Market – Current Landscape
The popularity of low or alcohol-free drinks continues to grow in the UK. As of May 2025, 53% of UK adults have drunk low- or no-alcohol beer, wine, cider, spirits or cocktails in the past twelve months. Naturally, this has caused value and volume sales to grow, with Mintel forecasting this increase to continue to 2030. As of 2025, Mintel estimates that the market value of low- and no-alcohol drinks is £413m.
Low- and No-Alcohol Drinks – UK Consumer Trends
- Continued pressure on household incomes in 2025 will continue to encourage alcohol moderation. However, the price barrier for low-/no-alcohol versions limits their ability to benefit from this.
- The fact that 53% of alcohol drinkers see non-alcoholic/alcohol-free drinks as a good choice when looking to relax as standard alcoholic drinks is promising for the category, given that relaxation is one of the key qualities people seek in drinks for various occasions.
- Companies marketing low-/no-alcohol versions of alcoholic drinks should target occasions where people typically drink alcohol, as well as ones where they typically would not. Almost half of alcohol drinkers in 2025 drink both standard alcoholic and low-/no-alcohol drinks. Exactly half of these drink both standard and low-/no-alcohol drinks on the same occasions.
This Report Looks at the Following Areas:
- The retail value and volume sales performance of low- and no-alcohol beer, wine and cider over 2020-25, and predicted growth in the category over the next five years
- Trends in alcohol moderation over 2022-25
- Reasons for limiting/reducing and abstaining from alcohol, including health considerations and saving money
- Consumers’ behaviours and preferences regarding low-/no-alcohol drinks, including whether they drink these variants on the same or different occasions from standard alcoholic drinks
- Perceptions of low-/no-alcohol drinks compared to standard alcoholic drinks, including associations with relaxation and refreshment
Meet the Expert Behind the Analysis
This report was written by Alice Baker. Alice analyses and writes on the UK Food & Drink sector, having joined Mintel in January 2016. She has previously worked for the International Meat Trade Association and in local government. She holds a BA in History and an MA in History of Political Thought from University College London.
Appealing as a healthier option is key for low-/no-alcohol variants. Boosting associations with refreshment is needed.
Alice Baker
Food and Drink Analyst
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- Opportunities for the low- and no-alcohol drinks market
- Proving low-no-alcohol drinks’ health credentials is crucial
- Promote low-/no-alcohol versions for drinking alongside, as well as separately from, standard versions
- Strengthen low-/no-alcohol drinks’ associations with relaxation to encourage purchase
- Market dynamics and outlook
- Market size & forecast
- Market predictions for low- and no-alcohol drinks
- Value and volume sales of low- and no-alcohol drinks to grow over 2025-30, with values rising faster
- Beer continues to account for majority of the market, and sees strong growth
- Graph 1: retail value sales of low- and no-alcohol drinks, by segment, 2023-25
- Guinness continues to lead low-/no-alcohol beer in 2024-25
- Graph 2: leading brands’ sales in the UK retail low- and no-alcohol beer market, by value, 2022/23-2024/25
- Alcoholic drinks prices continue to rise in 2024-25, encouraging alcohol moderation
- Graph 3: RPI inflation for beer, wine & spirits and all items, 2021-25
- What consumers want and why
- Six in 10 adults limit or do not drink alcohol; alcohol moderation is highest among under-35s
- Graph 4: alcohol reduction and non-usage, 2022-25
- Health and saving money are the leading reasons for alcohol moderation
- Graph 5: reasons for limiting/reducing alcohol consumption or not drinking alcohol, 2025
- Half of adults drink low-/no-alcohol drinks; under-45s are the key users
- Graph 6: usage of standard, low-/lower-alcohol and non-alcoholic/alcohol-free drinks, 2022-25
- Many drink both standard and low-/no on the same occasions; half of Brits prefer adult soft drinks
- Non-alcoholic/alcohol-free drinks are widely seen as relaxing, but struggle on refreshment
- Graph 7: behaviours relating to low- and no-alcohol drinks, 2025
- Innovation and marketing
- Brands continue to enter the low-/no-alcohol sphere in 2024-25; health-focused launches should appeal
- Examples of low- and no-alcohol product launches in 2024-25
- Advertising spend on low-/no-alcohol drinks rises sharply in 2024
- Graph 8: total above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising on low- and no-alcohol drinks, by top four advertisers, 2021-25 (sorted by 2024)
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MARKET DYNAMICS
- Market size
- Value and volume sales of low-/no-alcohol drinks grow strongly in 2020-25
- Graph 9: retail value sales of low- and no-alcohol drinks, 2020-25
- Graph 10: retail volume sales of low- and no-alcohol drinks, 2020-25
- Sales of low-/no-alcohol variants soar in 2020-25, but they remain niche
- Market forecast
- Continued inflation between 2025-30 expected
- Improved real income growth after 2027 will support category sales
- Value and volume sales of low- and no-alcohol drinks to continue to grow over 2025-30
- Market segmentation
- Beer is the largest segment of the low-/no-alcohol drinks market by some distance
- Graph 11: retail value sales of low- and no-alcohol drinks, by segment, 2023-25
- Graph 12: retail volume sales of low- and no-alcohol drinks, by segment, 2023-25
- Low-/no-alcohol beer and cider gain retail volume sales rapidly in 2024-25
- Market share
- Guinness widens its lead in low-/no-alcohol beer in 2024-25
- Graph 13: retail value sales of low- and no-alcohol beer, by top five brands and own-label, 2022/23-2024/25
- Mixed results for beer brands’ low-/no-alcohol variants in 2024-25
- Own-label low-/no-alcohol beer benefits from shoppers switching
- Market drivers
- Cautious consumer spending in 2025 will support continued alcohol moderation
- Graph 14: the financial confidence index, 2016-25
- Price concerns and social pressure to drink impede low-/no-alcohol drinks
- Inflation in beer, wine and spirits continues in 2024-25, though slower than in 2022-23
- Graph 15: RPI inflation for beer, wine & spirits and all items, 2021-25
- Alcohol duties rise again in 2025
- Alcohol-specific deaths rise sharply over 2019-23
- Government puts closer scrutiny on the healthiness of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks
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WHAT CONSUMERS WANT AND WHY
- Alcohol usage and reduction
- Six in 10 adults limit or do not drink alcohol
- Graph 16: alcohol reduction and non-usage, 2022-25
- Younger adults are the key moderators; alcohol moderation drives usage of low-/no-alcohol variants
- Reasons for moderating or avoiding alcohol
- Health is a primary reason both for limiting and avoiding alcohol
- Graph 17: reasons for limiting/reducing alcohol consumption or not drinking alcohol, 2025
- Appealing as a healthier option is crucial for low-/no-alcohol drinks
- Focus on holistic wellbeing to drive sales, particularly among older people
- Saving money motivates half of alcohol moderators
- Usage of low/lower and no-alcohol drinks
- Half of adults drink low- or no-alcohol drinks
- Graph 18: usage of standard, low-/lower-alcohol and non-alcoholic/alcohol-free drinks, 2022-25
- Under-45s are the key low-/no-alcohol drinkers
- Beer and RTDs have the highest usage of low-/no-alcohol versions compared with standard
- Graph 19: usage of standard, low-/lower-alcohol and non-alcoholic/alcohol-free drinks, by category, 2025
- Beer and RTDs’ affordability explains their lead
- Behaviours and preferences in relation to standard and low-/no-alcohol drinks
- Position low-/no-alcohol versions both for occasions where people typically drink alcohol and ones where they would not
- Half of drinkers drink standard and low-/no-alcohol drinks on the same occasions
- Graph 20: drinking of standard and low-/no-alcohol drinks on the same and separate occasions, by age group, 2025
- 50% of people prefer adult soft drinks to low-/no-alcohol versions as alcohol alternatives
- Niche brands position kombuchas and botanical/herbal drinks as alcohol alternatives
- Explore less sweet flavours for low-/no-alcohol beer and cider
- Behaviours relating to low- and no-alcohol drinks
- Half of alcohol drinkers see non-alcoholic/alcohol-free drinks as just as good a choice when looking to relax as standard alcoholic drinks
- Graph 21: behaviours relating to low- and no-alcohol drinks, 2025
- Strengthen relaxing associations around low-/no-alcohol drinks to drive sales
- Appealing as relaxing is key to driving purchase
- A few brands launch alcohol alternatives with ingredients popularly seen as relaxing
- Only a minority see low-/no-alcohol drinks as more refreshing
- Focus on serves to strengthen associations with refreshment
- Pubs/bars must ensure they have a good selection of low-/no-alcohol options
- Stock and shout about low-/no-alcohol variants in the on-trade
- Spotlighting low-/no-alcohol variants in the on-trade can benefit both brands and venues
- Tap into branded glasses’ role as implied endorsement
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INNOVATION AND MARKETING TRENDS
- Launch activity and innovation
- Leading beer and cider brands add no-alcohol versions
- Low/lower and no-alcohol wines extend their reach
- Low-/no-alcohol launches highlight their better-for-you aspects
- Fruit flavour trend in low-/no-alcohol mirrors trend in standard alcoholic drinks
- Brands continue to detail their dealcoholisation methods
- Companies continue to expand the range of varieties available in low-/no-alcohol
- Sparkling tea-based drinks offer an alternative to wine
- No-alcohol RTDs draw inspiration from herbal remedies
- Advertising and marketing activity
- Lucky Saint drives the meteoric rise in advertising on low-/no-alcohol drinks in 2024
- Graph 22: total above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising on low- and no-alcohol drinks, by top four advertisers, 2021-25 (sorted by 2024)
- Lucky Saint targets Dry January 2025
- Guinness links with the Premier League to promote its 0.0 variant
- Corona Cero links with the Olympics and aspirational lifestyles
- Peroni 0.0 continues its Formula 1 partnership
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APPENDIX
- Supplementary data
- Appendix – market segmentation
- Market share – beer – values
- Market share – beer – volumes
- Market share – wine – values
- Market share – wine – volumes
- Market forecast data and methodology
- Appendix – market size and forecast
- Market forecast and prediction intervals (value)
- Market forecast and prediction intervals (volume)
- Forecast methodology
- Report scope and definitions
- Market definition
- Abbreviations and terms
- Consumer research methodology [example]
- Nielsen Ad Intel coverage
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