Which Countries Consume The Most Soft Drinks?

This week, I’m taking a look at global soft drinks consumption. Soft drinks comprises a large range of non-alcoholic drinks, including bottled water, carbonates, concentrates (powdered or liquid drinks you add water to), juice, ready-to-drink tea and coffee (those bottled ones that are usually consumed chilled), as well as sports and energy drinks.

Mexico and the US lead in sugary carbonates
Let’s start with the category, which probably first springs to mind when we hear the term “soft drinks”: fizzy pop. The human race downed 220 billion litres of the sticky stuff in 2012.

The most avid consumers, no surprises there, are Americans. They imbibed 165 litres per capita in 2012, followed by neighbouring Mexico with 146 litres. Argentina is third in line. The emerging markets of China and India mustered a paltry 9 litres and 3 litres, respectively, but they are sure to catch up eventually.

Cola drinks accounted for 57% of carbonated soft drinks (by volume) in 2012. And when it comes to cola, Mexico is even ahead of the US! Mexicans consumed 108 litres per head in 2012, compared to Americans’ 82 litres. India and Indonesia have among the lowest consumption rates at barely over 1 litre.

Germany’s leading bottled water brand

Germans like their water sparkling, Americans don’t.
Bottled water is the most-consumed soft drink on Earth. In 2012, we guzzled almost 242 billion litres of it. The top five leading countries for per capita bottled water consumption are Mexico, Italy, Spain, Turkey and Germany.

Germany leads in carbonated bottled water at 109 litres per head in 2012. Still water amounted to just 13 litres, so Germans clearly like their sparkles. In the US, it’s pretty much the other way around – Americans consumed 90 litres of still water per head and less than three litres of the carbonated stuff. Perrier needs to work a bit harder, it seems…

Canada, Finland, the Netherlands, Poland and Saudi Arabia drink the most fruit juice per capita, with 60 litres, 48 litres, 47 litres, 42 and 40 litres, respectively in 2012.
In sports drinks, the US leads with 18 litres per head, followed by Denmark (14 litres), Japan (11 litres), Malaysia (8 litres), Spain (6 litres) and, …wait for it… Peru! with 5 litres. Must be all that jogging up and down those Andes…

If you’re interested in energy drinks consumption, click here.

To read more about global sports drinks consumption, click here.

For a post on alcoholic drinks consumption, click here.

[For data source, click here]