Several groups of nonacid Zn-containing systems based on zeolites (Z) Y, X, and A were prepared. Strong dependence of the catalytic properties of these systems in the transformation of CH3OH (500degreesC, atmospheric pressure) on the nature of the reactants, their preparation procedure, and pretreatment conditions. The samples prepared using Na2CO3 were shown to accelerate mainly the decomposition of CH3OH to dihydrogen and carbon oxides. The systems obtained from Zn(NO3)(2)/NaZ, NaNO3/ZnNaZ, and Zn(NO3)(2)/ZnNaZ by the decomposition of the nitrate anions in them exhibit high selectivity in the formation of CH2O (to 80%). The maximum yield of CH2O (higher than 30%) was obtained over the Zn(NO3)(2)/ZnNaY system pretreated in CH3OH vapor at 300-500degreesC. It is assumed that the performance of the studied catalysts in the nonoxidative dehydrogenation of methanol to formaldehyde is determined by high dispersion of the ZnO phase, which is achieved under certain conditions of its formation in the zeolite-salt systems.