4 Places Where Non-Alcoholic Beer Is More Popular Than In The US

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Non-alcoholic beer has been making a substantial splash in the United States in recent years. America boasts one of the largest NA beer markets in the world, and low- and non-alcoholic malt beverages (defined as drinks containing less than 0.5% alcohol by volume) were the fastest growing sector of the American beer industry in 2024. However, while it's certainly far easier to find a flavorful low-alcoholic beer in America these days compared to a couple of decades ago, NA brews are still far from mainstream stateside.

Non-alcoholic beer only makes up a tiny fraction of overall U.S. beer sales, and remains a relatively niche offering at bars and restaurants. A scant 5% of Americans regularly enjoy non-alcoholic beer. Luckily for NA beer fans, the United States isn't the only country where non-alcoholic malt beverages are growing in popularity. In fact, there are many places in the world where NA brews are buzzier than in America. Here are four countries where sipping an ice-cold non-alcoholic beer is more common than in the United States.

Grabbing a few drinks and pintxos or tapas (there is a difference) with friends is a Spanish social institution, and beer is indisputably the everyday drink of choice for the Iberian country. According to data collected by the Spanish government, beer made up over 70% of total alcohol sales in 2024, and in 2022 Spaniards downed an average of 58 liters of beer each. Recently, it seems that more and more Spaniards are opting to replace at least a few of those liters with non-alcoholic beer.

NA beer is surprisingly mainstream in Spain. A Statista survey revealed that 21% of Spaniards say they regularly sip NA beer, while 51% reported regularly drinking alcoholic beer. That dataset may be slightly misleading, though, as other sources indicate non-alcoholic brews make up 14% of total beer consumption in Spain. Nothing to scoff at, in any case. Almost all of Spain's top breweries offer at least a few NA options, and toasty non-alcoholic pilsners such as Estrella Galicia 0.0 Tostada, Mahou 0.0 Tostada, and San Miguel 0.0 are particularly popular.

Japan has long been among the world's top beer-consuming countries, but its appetite for non-alcoholic brews is even more noteworthy. A 2025 survey from Suntory revealed that roughly 15% of Japanese consumers enjoyed non-alcoholic beer, wine, or mocktails at least once a month. The success of non-alcoholic beer in Japan can be attributed to several factors. For one thing, Japan has a strong tradition of after-work beers with colleagues, and many people enjoy NA brews as a more moderate way to engage in this social drinking culture without the health risks of alcohol or the professional risks of getting buzzed with coworkers. 

Some credit the growing NA trend to the country's strict drunk-driving laws and rapidly aging population (a full 28% of Japanese residents are over 65). Alcohol-eschewing Japanese beer consumers tend to favor light, malty non-alcoholic beers from some of the country's biggest brewers, such as Kirin Free, Asahi Dry Zero, and Suntory All-Free (all of which pair excellently with these must-try fried Japanese dishes).

That's right, the homeland of Oktoberfest has embraced non-alcoholic beer with gusto. That same Statista survey from before revealed that 15% of Germans regularly drink non-alcoholic beer, while 32% regularly drink alcoholic beer. As regular beer has declined in popularity in Germany, non-alcoholic beer sales have risen to prominence: Low- and no-alcohol brews made up 10% of the German beer market in 2025.

Many credit the rise of NA beer in Germany to increased health consciousness among consumers. Interestingly, many non-alcoholic malt beverages are marketed as sports drinks, with brewers touting their purported isotonic, thirst-quenching qualities. Unsurprisingly, the country that is home to some of the world's oldest operating breweries produces an impressive array of German-style non-alcoholic beers that don't sacrifice taste. NA brews are a staple at bars and biergartens across the European country, with popular options including Maisel & Friends IPA Alkoholfrei, Lammsbräu Dunkel, and Erdinger Alkoholfrei.

America's favorite craft beer style, the India Pale Ale, remains relatively niche in its namesake country (perhaps due to its unsavory colonial history), but one type of beer that is rapidly gaining fans in India is the non-alcoholic variety. India is home to the world's fastest growing NA beer market, with an annual growth rate of nearly 9%. The country also boasts one of the highest ratios of non-alcoholic to regular beer consumption. Per that same Statista survey, only 23% of Indians regularly drink beer while 12% regularly drink NA beer.

Low- and no-alcohol brews are particularly popular in big cities and among young people in India thanks in part to increasing health consciousness among consumers in this generation. India's favorite non-alcoholic beer brands include Coolberg, Jimmy's, and 3Sisters. Within those brands, fruity, herbal flavors like cranberry, strawberry, mint, and ginger are particularly popular. No matter what kind of brew you like, you should definitely boost these Indian dishes with a splash of beer.