Beverage consumption spans bottled water, soft drinks, sugar-sweetened drinks, and functional beverages—each shaped by price, income, and regulation. On this page, you’ll see how U.S. shoppers pay, how the EU’s nutrition labeling affects what’s on labels, and how Mexico and local policies influenced purchases. We also connect cost drivers like sugar prices to market trends, including growth in bottled water and energy drinks and the split between “still” and other water types.
Key Takeaways
- Global bottled water prices varied; the OECD reported an average global bottled water price premium of about 1000x compared with tap (liter-equivalent estimate)
- In 2023, the average U.S. price per gallon for bottled water in retail was about $0.67 (derived from BLS CPI and per-unit conversion)
- In 2022, U.S. retail prices for bottled water rose 7.2% compared to 2021 (CPI series)
- Over $300 billion in global soft drink sales (2019 estimate)
- In 2023, the U.S. accounted for 6.3% of global soft drink volume
- In 2022, Americans drank an average of 48.3 gallons of soft drinks per capita
- The global bottled water market is projected to grow at a 7.7% CAGR from 2024 to 2034
- In 2023, the global market for functional beverages was about $206.1 billion
- In 2024, the energy drinks market was expected to grow 4.6% year-over-year
- In the U.S., 48% of people who reported drinking soda consumed at least one serving per day (2018 NHANES analysis)
- In 2023, the EU set mandatory nutrition labeling under Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 for beverages sold to consumers
- Mexico’s 1 peso per liter tax on sugar-sweetened beverages implemented in 2014 reduced purchases by about 5.6% in 2016 (difference-in-differences study)
Bottled water and soft drinks remain pricey and popular worldwide, with taxation and labeling reshaping consumption.
Related reading
01 · Category
Cost And Affordability7 stats
01
Global bottled water prices varied; the OECD reported an average global bottled water price premium of about 1000x compared with tap (liter-equivalent estimate)
02
In 2023, the average U.S. price per gallon for bottled water in retail was about $0.67(derived from BLS CPI and per-unit conversion)
03
In 2022, U.S. retail prices for bottled water rose 7.2% compared to 2021 (CPI series)
04
In 2021, sugar costs were a major cost driver; U.S. sugar import price averaged about $0.32per pound (World Bank pink sheet)
05
In 2023, global aluminum beverage-can input cost rose sharply; LME aluminum price averaged about $2,273per metric ton
06
In 2022, PET resin prices in Europe averaged about €1,750 per metric ton (ICIS cited)
07
In 2023, the U.K. VAT rate for soft drinks is 20% (government tax policy)
Interpretation
Cost And Affordability Interpretation
Cost pressure for beverages remains high because bottled water can cost roughly 1000 times more than tap water on a global basis, with U.S. retail bottled water averaging about $0.67 per gallon and rising 7.2% in 2022, while key inputs like sugar at about $0.32 per pound, aluminum at around $2,273 per metric ton in 2023, and PET resin near €1,750 per metric ton in Europe continue to push affordability.
02 · Category
Market Size9 stats
01
Over $300 billion in global soft drink sales (2019 estimate)
02
In 2023, the U.S. accounted for 6.3% of global soft drink volume
03
In 2022, Americans drank an average of 48.3 gallons of soft drinks per capita
04
In 2023, the global bottled water market was valued at about $336.9 billion
05
In 2023, the global carbonated soft drinks market revenue was about $750.7 billion
06
In 2022, the global ready-to-drink tea market reached $49.7 billion
07
In 2023, the global energy drinks market was valued at approximately $63.5 billion
08
In 2024, the global bottled tea market size was estimated at $23.9 billion
09
In 2022, non-alcoholic drinks accounted for 86% of beverage volume in the U.S. (excluding water)
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
The market size for major beverages is enormous and still expanding, with global carbonated soft drinks revenue reaching about $750.7 billion in 2023 and the global bottled water market valued at roughly $336.9 billion the same year.
More related reading
03 · Category
Industry Trends6 stats
01
The global bottled water market is projected to grow at a 7.7% CAGR from 2024 to 2034
02
In 2023, the global market for functional beverages was about $206.1 billion
03
In 2024, the energy drinks market was expected to grow 4.6% year-over-year
04
In 2021, the share of bottled water labeled as 'still' was 88.4% of global bottled water volume
05
In 2023, the ready-to-drink tea market grew 6.2% year over year
06
In 2023, the global sports drinks market reached $28.6 billion
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
For the Industry Trends category, demand for beverages is clearly accelerating with bottled water set to grow at a 7.7% CAGR from 2024 to 2034 alongside functional beverages reaching about $206.1 billion in 2023.
04 · Category
Health And Policy8 stats
01
In the U.S., 48% of people who reported drinking soda consumed at least one serving per day (2018 NHANES analysis)
02
In 2023, the EU set mandatory nutrition labeling under Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 for beverages sold to consumers
03
Mexico’s 1 peso per liter tax on sugar-sweetened beverages implemented in 2014 reduced purchases by about 5.6% in 2016 (difference-in-differences study)
04
In Berkeley, California, a 1-cent-per-ounce soda tax reduced carbonated soft drink sales by 38% in the first year (2015–2016 evaluation)
05
A global analysis estimated sugar-sweetened beverage consumption contributed to about 1.3 million deaths in 2017
06
5.6% reduction in sugar-sweetened beverage purchases in Mexico in 2016 versus the counterfactual (2014 tax implemented; effect reported for 2016)
07
5.6% reduction in sugar-sweetened beverage purchases in Mexico in 2016 (1 peso per liter SSB tax; reported as purchases declined by 5.6%)
08
5.6% reduction in sugar-sweetened beverage purchases in Mexico in 2016 attributable to the 1 peso per liter tax (reported as purchases decreased by 5.6%)
Interpretation
Health And Policy Interpretation
From Mexico’s 2014 sugar-sweetened beverage tax cutting purchases by about 5.6% in 2016 to Berkeley’s 1-cent-per-ounce levy driving a 38% drop in carbonated soft drink sales in its first year, health and policy measures are clearly linked to meaningful changes in beverage consumption.
report visual · Comparison
Mexico SSB tax effect (2016 vs counterfactual)
Mexico’s 2014 sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) tax is associated with a decline in purchases in 2016: the estimated reduction is in the same direction across sources, with no meaning
5.6% reduction in sugar-sweetened beverage purchases in Mexico in 2016 versus the counterfactual (2014 tax implemented; −5.6%
5.6% reduction in sugar-sweetened beverage purchases in Mexico in 2016 (1 peso per liter SSB tax; reported as purchases
−5.6%
5.6% reduction in sugar-sweetened beverage purchases in Mexico in 2016 attributable to the 1 peso per liter tax (reporte
−5.6%
source-verifiednber.org · science.org · imf.org2016
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Leah Kessler. (2026, February 13). Beverage Consumption Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/beverage-consumption-statistics
MLA
Leah Kessler. "Beverage Consumption Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/beverage-consumption-statistics.
Chicago
Leah Kessler. 2026. "Beverage Consumption Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/beverage-consumption-statistics.
Sources & references
30 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+7 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)