[REVISION HISTORY]

Polish beverage market shifts toward premium and non-alcohol

Updated 10 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-09-29 04:37 UTC → 2026-10-03 18:02 UTC · added ~~removed~~

The Polish beverage market is undergoing a significant transformation driven by changing consumer preferences and economic pressures. Research indicates that two-thirds of consumers are drawn to classic flavors in modern, limited-edition formats, with Generation Z and Alpha driving demand for intense and unexpected flavor profiles. Alcohol consumption is declining, with Poland emerging as a leader in the European Union for rising abstinence rates. ~~Recent~~ Eurostat data indicates that 35% of Poles ~~declare abstinence,~~ report not consuming alcohol in the past year, and only 0.5% report drinking alcohol ~~daily, one of the lowest rates in~~ daily—a figure significantly lower than the ~~EU.~~ EU average of 4.8%. Additionally, 44.6% of respondents report consuming alcohol less than once a month. This shift has pressured state ~~finances;~~ finances. In the ~~treasury collected 3.9 billion PLN in~~ first half of 2026, excise tax revenue from spirits ~~by the end of June, compared~~ fell to approximately 3.9 billion PLN, down from 4.5 billion PLN during the same period the previous ~~year. As of mid-year, only 31%~~ year, representing a decrease of ~~the annual~~ over 13%. Beer excise ~~tax~~ revenue ~~target~~ has ~~been met.~~ also seen a slight decline. While this impacts the budget, experts suggest the National Health Fund (NFZ) may see long-term benefits from reduced costs related to alcohol-related illnesses and injuries. Legislative efforts to regulate alcohol marketing are also emerging. A proposal by the Lewica and Polska 2050 parties, accepted by the Sejm Health Committee, seeks a total ban on alcohol advertising and promotion. This includes a ban on advertising non-alcoholic beer products under a beer brand, with potential fines of up to 1 million PLN. Critics have noted inconsistencies in the proposal, as it targets 0.0% alcohol products while the committee rejected a ban on the sale of small, high-strength vodka bottles, known as ‘małpki’. While the non-alcoholic segment is growing, it has not yet offset broader industry downturns. Specifically, alcoholic beer sales declined by 11.2% in the first half of 2026, even as non-alcoholic beer sales rose 16.2%. Polish consumers largely oppose potential restrictions on non-alcoholic beer, with 71% against a ban on its sale and 57% supporting current advertising freedoms. Many view these products as a way to reduce overall alcohol consumption, with 61.5% seeing them as a substitute for alcoholic beer and 52.3% using them to limit their intake of stronger spirits. Corporate responses are emerging. The company Ambra is pivoting toward the non-alcoholic sector, aiming to increase the share of non-alcoholic products in its revenue from 13.7% in the 2025/2026 fiscal year to over 20% in the coming years. Ambra’s CEO, Robert Ogór, reported that sales of non-alcoholic beverages grew by 4.2%, with dealcoholized wines specifically seeing a 20.8% increase.

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