Non-Alcoholic Beer Rules in Mainland China
In mainland China, the national beer standard GB/T 4927-2008 defines 无醇啤酒 (non-alcohol beer) as beer with 0.5% alcohol by volume or less and an original wort strength of at least 3.0°P. It defines 低醇啤酒 (low-alcohol beer) as beer with 0.6% to 2.5%. The standard counts non-alcohol beer as a kind of beer.
Checked on 2 October 2026. This is general information, not legal advice: laws change, so confirm with the regulator before you rely on a rule.
The rules in mainland China at a glance
- At what alcohol level does a drink count as alcoholic in mainland China?
- We found no single legal line. The national beer standard counts non-alcohol beer as a kind of beer.
- What may a label call a non-alcoholic beer in mainland China?
- 无醇啤酒 (non-alcohol beer): 0.5% ABV or less. 低醇啤酒 (low-alcohol beer): 0.6% to 2.5% ABV.
- Who may sell or buy non-alcoholic beer in mainland China?
- Not yet verified.
The detail, with sources
A revised standard, GB/T 4927-2025, was issued on 31 December 2025 and takes effect on 1 January 2027. A provincial market regulator's explainer says it keeps the 0.5% ceiling for non-alcohol beer.
In August 2026, Beijing's market regulator issued a consumer notice saying that non-alcohol beer is not free of alcohol. It said a "0.0%vol" label means less than 0.05% by volume, which is the limit of what instruments can measure, rather than none at all. We have not yet verified China's rules on selling these drinks to minors or on advertising them.
- Primary source: GB/T 4927-2008 Beer and GB/T 4927-2025, National Public Service Platform for Standards Information
- Secondary source: GB 4927-2008 Beer, approval-draft text (Chinese), clauses 3.5.3 and 3.5.4
- Secondary source: Gansu Market Supervision and Administration Bureau explainer on GB/T 4927-2025, The Paper, 4 February 2026 (Chinese)
- Secondary source: Beijing Municipal Administration for Market Regulation consumer notice on non-alcohol beer, Guangming Online, 4 August 2026 (Chinese)
Common questions
Does a 0.0% label mean there is no alcohol at all?
Not necessarily. Beijing's market regulator said in August 2026 that a "0.0%vol" label means less than 0.05% by volume, which is the limit of what instruments can measure. South Korea's food ministry tests drinks labelled 무알코올 against a limit of under 0.001% ethanol. Japan's industry code uses "non-alcohol" only for drinks at 0.00% but does not say how that figure is measured.
Does drink-driving law apply to non-alcoholic beer?
Drink-driving laws measure the alcohol in a driver's blood or breath, not what the label says, and non-alcoholic beer contains a trace of alcohol. Beijing's market regulator has told drivers to avoid all non-alcohol beer before driving, whether the label says 0.5% or 0.0%. In India, Section 185 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 sets the limit at 30 mg of alcohol per 100 ml of blood.
Can a non-alcoholic beer be called beer on the label?
It depends on the country. Malaysia's Food Regulations allow the words beer, lager, ale or stout only for a drink with more than 2% alcohol, and a beer with the alcohol separated out must be labelled "dealcoholised". Japan's industry code bars a non-alcohol drink from using the brand name of an alcoholic drink. China's beer standard, by contrast, counts non-alcohol beer as a kind of beer.
Elsewhere in East Asia
Japan and South Korea count a drink as liquor from 1% alcohol by volume, and Hong Kong from just above 1.2%. Taiwan draws the line at 0.5%, and mainland China's beer standard puts non-alcohol beer at 0.5% or less. Below those lines, the rules on labels and age come mostly from food regulators and industry codes rather than from alcohol law.
| Country or territory | A drink counts as alcoholic from |
|---|---|
| Japan | 1% ABV or more is liquor (酒類) under the Liquor Tax Act. |
| South Korea | 1% ABV or more is liquor (주류) under the Liquor Tax Act. |
| Hong Kong | More than 1.2% ethyl alcohol by volume is liquor. |
| Taiwan | More than 0.5% ABV is an alcohol product (酒). |
Across the whole region
- All 27 countries and territories in one table
- What halal authorities have published
- What regulators say about drink-driving laws and non-alcoholic beer
- The same rows as JSON or CSV, free to reuse with credit
If a rule for mainland China has changed, or a source no longer says what we say it does, write to getsoma.store@gmail.com and we will correct it.
Who publishes this page
SOMA is a non-alcoholic craft beer brand founded in Bangalore, India, and its beers are under 0.5% ABV. Our first deliveries will be in Bangalore, and we do not ship outside India. We keep these pages because the rules on non-alcoholic beer differ a great deal between countries, and many pages online state them without a source.
To learn how non-alcoholic beer is made and what is in it, read Non-Alcoholic Beer 101.