Low and non-alcohol now embedded in drinking culture, finds survey

The fourth annual online study by YouGov, commissioned by the Portman Group, has found that almost one in three (32%) UK drinkers now “semi-regularly” consume low and no alcohol products compared to one in four (25%) in 2020.

A fifth (20%) of those who have tried low and no alcohol say they are more likely to drink these products now compared to a year ago, almost double the number saying this in last year’s survey (11%).

Reasons for buying the low alcohol and non-alcohol drinks include being able to drive home from social events (33%), health or medical concerns (25%), with another 20% saying that they do so to socialise without drinking excessively.

Matt Lambert, chief executive of the Portman Group, the alcohol social responsibility body and marketing regulator, said: “As these positive findings show, there has been a big increase in drinking low and no during the pandemic, indicating that many UK drinkers have looked to moderate their alcohol consumption by swapping with non-alcoholic options.

“These figures show the fruits of large industry innovation and investment into the sector over the past decade to provide consumers with an array of lower alcohol options.”