The drinks market is projected to keep expanding fast, even as consumer behavior shifts in unexpected ways, from low and no alcohol growth to a declining share of US adults reporting alcohol use. Bottled water alone reached $280.0 billion in 2023, yet RTD cocktails are forecast to grow at a 7.0% CAGR from 2024 to 2030. Put together with energy, labor, and labeling rules across the EU and the US, these statistics reveal where value is moving and what it costs to keep up.
Key Takeaways
- $1.2 trillion global beverages & food services market size in 2024 (market size estimate).
- The global non-alcoholic drinks market is forecast to reach $343.0 billion by 2030 (forecast market value).
- The global bottled water market was valued at $280.0 billion in 2023 (market value).
- Spirits accounted for 34.0% of alcohol consumption volume in the European Union in 2022 (composition share of alcohol consumption).
- The global low/no-alcohol beverages category grew to $27.7 billion in 2023 (category value).
- The share of U.S. adults reporting alcohol consumption decreased from 53% to 48% between 2020 and 2023 (trend over time).
- 7.0% CAGR is forecast for the global RTD (ready-to-drink) cocktails market from 2024 to 2030 (growth rate forecast).
- Bottled water accounts for 94.0% of the packaged water market in the United States in 2022 (share of packaged water).
- Spirits producers reported average energy intensity reduction of 8% between 2019 and 2022 (efficiency improvement).
- U.S. beverage manufacturing had an average labor productivity of $135,000 per worker in 2023 (productivity).
- The EU Drinking Water Directive (98/83/EC) covers 99% of the EU population served by drinking water systems (coverage share).
- EU breweries must meet maximum allowable pesticide residues limits as specified by Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 (compliance threshold framework).
- EU Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 requires ingredient labeling and nutrition information on alcoholic beverages (labeling requirement).
From booming non alcoholic growth to rising RTD cocktails, drinks demand is set to soar through 2030.
Related reading
01 · Category
Market Size5 stats
01
$1.2 trillion global beverages & food services market size in 2024 (market size estimate).
02
The global non-alcoholic drinks market is forecast to reach $343.0 billion by 2030 (forecast market value).
03
The global bottled water market was valued at $280.0 billion in 2023 (market value).
04
In the U.S., per-capita beer consumption was 21.6 gallons in 2023 (average consumption per person aged 21+).
05
37.7% of global alcohol consumption is consumed in high-income countries (share by income group)
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
From a market size perspective, the drinks sector is scaling rapidly with a $1.2 trillion global beverages and food services market in 2024 and non alcoholic drinks projected to hit $343.0 billion by 2030, while key subsegments like bottled water already reached $280.0 billion in 2023.
02 · Category
Consumption & Demand1 stats
01
Spirits accounted for 34.0% of alcohol consumption volume in the European Union in 2022 (composition share of alcohol consumption).
Interpretation
Consumption & Demand Interpretation
In the European Union in 2022, spirits made up 34.0% of alcohol consumption volume, underscoring that demand for spirits is a substantial share within overall consumption patterns under the Consumption and Demand category.
03 · Category
Industry Trends7 stats
01
The global low/no-alcohol beverages category grew to $27.7 billion in 2023 (category value).
02
The share of U.S. adults reporting alcohol consumption decreased from 53% to 48% between 2020 and 2023 (trend over time).
03
7.0% CAGR is forecast for the global RTD (ready-to-drink) cocktails market from 2024 to 2030 (growth rate forecast).
04
The number of microbreweries in the United States reached 9,500 in 2023 (establishment count).
05
In the United States, 67.0% of adults reported drinking alcohol at least once in the past year (share of adults, 2019)
06
In the United States, 73.5% of adults are classified as non-drinkers or low-risk drinkers (share of adults in drinking-risk categories, 2022)
07
In 2022, beverage-specific plastic packaging accounted for 24% of plastic packaging waste (share of plastic packaging waste from beverages)
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
The Industry Trends signal a clear shift as the global low and no alcohol beverages market reached $27.7 billion in 2023 while U.S. adult alcohol consumption fell to 48% in 2023, even as microbreweries climbed to 9,500, showing growing demand for alternatives alongside continued craft interest.
More related reading
04 · Category
Financial & Operational4 stats
01
Bottled water accounts for 94.0% of the packaged water market in the United States in 2022 (share of packaged water).
02
Spirits producers reported average energy intensity reduction of 8% between 2019 and 2022 (efficiency improvement).
03
U.S. beverage manufacturing had an average labor productivity of $135,000per worker in 2023 (productivity).
04
Bottling companies reported 22% of operating costs attributable to energy in 2023 (cost share).
Interpretation
Financial & Operational Interpretation
For the Drinks industry’s Financial and Operational side, energy is a clear lever as bottled water still dominates packaged sales with 94.0% in 2022 while bottling companies say 22% of operating costs come from energy and spirits producers delivered an 8% energy intensity reduction from 2019 to 2022.
05 · Category
Regulation, Risk & Sustainability4 stats
01
The EU Drinking Water Directive (98/83/EC) covers 99% of the EU population served by drinking water systems (coverage share).
02
EU breweries must meet maximum allowable pesticide residues limits as specified by Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 (compliance threshold framework).
03
EU Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 requires ingredient labeling and nutrition information on alcoholic beverages (labeling requirement).
04
EU Regulation (EC) No 1925/2006 controls addition of vitamins/minerals and other substances in foods including beverages (compliance framework).
Interpretation
Regulation, Risk & Sustainability Interpretation
Across the Regulation, Risk & Sustainability category, the EU’s Drinking Water Directive reaches 99% of the population served by drinking water systems while overlapping rules on contaminants, pesticide limits, and mandatory labeling for alcohol and other substances ensure compliance and risk control across the drinks supply chain.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Ryan Townsend. (2026, February 13). Drinks Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/drinks-industry-statistics
MLA
Ryan Townsend. "Drinks Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/drinks-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Ryan Townsend. 2026. "Drinks Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/drinks-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
21 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+7 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)