China Beverage Sector Report 2026 Q1

China is the world's largest producer and consumer of alcoholic beverages, producing almost one-half of the world's spirits and nearly one-fifth of the world's beer. In 2025, China's beer production reached 35.4bn litres, rising slightly by 0.4% y/y - the only major product category within the alcoholic beverage sub-sector to achieve positive production growth. By contrast, the outputs of the other two major alcoholic beverages - baijiu and grape wine - fell by 14.4% y/y and 17.8% y/y, respectively, to 3.5bn litres and 97mn litres. This downturn was mainly attributed to reduced market demand and a shift in consumer preference away from strong wines, driven by heightened health awareness. On the other hand, China's soft drink output in 2025 fell by 4.7% y/y to 179.3mn tonnes.

This report provides a complete and detailed analysis of the "Beverage production" sector for China. EMIS Insights presents in-depth business intelligence in a standard format across countries and regions, providing a balanced mix between analysis and data.

What this report allows you to do:

• Understand the key elements at play in the "Beverage production" sector in China
• Crystallise the forces both driving and restraining this sector in China
• Ascertain China’s position in the global sector
• Build a complete perspective on sector trade, investment and employment
• Understand the competitive landscape and who the major players are
• View M&A activity and major deals
• Gain an understanding of the regulatory environment for the sector in China.
• Build a clear picture of trends, output and consumption for specific sub-sectors