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In two years, the non-alcoholic beer category has increased by 24.3 percent in Belgium. This was evident from figures provided on Tuesday during a press presentation by beer giant AB InBev, which would account for 60 percent of the non-alcoholic beer market in Belgium in 2023.
Worldwide, non-alcoholic beers currently make up 1.8 percent of the total beer market. In the European Union, non-alcoholic beers account for a segment of 4.9 percent. In Belgium it is 5.1 percent. Between 2021 and 2023, the share of non-alcoholic beers in our country increased by 24.3 percent.
The company does not want to reveal how large the share of non-alcoholic beers is in AB InBev’s total beer production. It is clear that it is gaining in importance: “Non-alcoholic beers are growing strongly,” said Jason Warner, CEO Europe of AB InBev. “We believe that growth will continue. It is an important part of our activities.”
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Corona Cero, the beer that AB InBev recently presented as a focus brand in the partnership with the Olympic Games, is the fastest growing non-alcoholic in the company’s range. The first Corona Ceros, specially made for the Games, rolled off the production line at the factory in Leuven on Tuesday.
In 2015, the brewer launched ‘Global Smart Drinking Goals’, with the most notable goal being to bring the share of non- or lower alcohol beers in volumes to 20 percent by 2025. That goal will not be achieved. “Dreaming big is part of our business,” Warner said. “But if we hadn’t had such big goals, we wouldn’t have made such creativity and progress within our company. We continue to work to achieve the goal as quickly as possible.”
