(ANSA) - TRIESTE, 04 AGO - Boom in non-alcoholic beer in EU, Germany main producer Responsible drinking is growing. The product with alcohol drops by 5% Responsible drinking is no longer an appeal but a reality, even for the brewing industry. In 2023, the production of non-alcoholic beer increased by 13.5% in the European Union countries while, according to Eurostat data, compared to 2022, the production of beer with alcohol fell by 5%. In total, EU countries produced 32.5 billion liters of beer containing alcohol and 1.8 billion liters of beer with less than 0.5% alcohol or without any alcohol content, for a total of 34.3 billion of litres, Eurostat estimates. Non-alcoholic beer production reached a total of 1.8 billion litres, with Germany as the main producer. In Spain, during this torrid summer, there is already talk of the triumph of cerveza sin (without alcohol). b According to a report by the consultancy Circana, an innovation niche has been created in the Iberian Peninsula with non-alcoholic beer, which represents 14% of total beer consumption per capita. Spanish supermarkets sell 129 million liters a year, generating almost 229 million euros. This market saw a 2.7% increase in sales volume and an 8% increase in budget. The popularity of non-alcoholic beer is attributed to factors such as freshness, taste and consumer responsibility, being chosen for driving occasions. Non-alcoholic beer prices rose 3.6% in the first half of the year, tripling the rise in overall food prices. Despite this, the non-alcoholic beer category has seen significant growth in recent years, accounting for almost 9% of the total beer sales of a leading Spanish beer company. (ANSA).