Report claims bottled water growth rate outperforms other packaged drinks by volume

A report compiled by the Alexandria, Virginia-based International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) claims bottled water had the highest volume growth rate of all other beverages in 2024, while nearly all other drinks experienced negative growth. The report cites data from the Beverage Marketing Corp. (BMC).

According to the report, bottled water was the No. 1 beverage, by volume, in the United States for the ninth consecutive year, with a total 2024 consumption rate of 16.4 billion gallons—a growth rate of 2.9 percent. Carbonated soft drinks (11.9 billion gallons) grew by 0.2 percent and energy drinks by 1.6 percent, while sports drinks fell by 2.7 percent, ready-to-drink coffee by 2.3 percent, fruit beverages by 2.5 percent and both value-added water and ready-to-drink tea fell by 1.3 percent.

The report claims bottled water retail sales reached $50.6 billion, up 3.7 percent from 2023.

“Though sometimes regarded as competing with tap water, bottled water actually achieved its position as the biggest beverage category by enticing consumers away from other packaged beverages,” says John G. Rodwan Jr., editorial director of the Wintersville, Ohio-based BMC. “Some consumers may have transitioned away from regular, full-calorie sodas in favor of their diet or zero-sugar iterations, but many others opted for bottled water instead. And as some consumers grew leery of artificial sweeteners, they moved away from diet sodas as well as regular versions.

“Bottled water’s zero-calorie status and its lack of artificial ingredients appeal to many consumers. Even where tap water may be safe and readily available, people may prefer bottled water. The availability of packaged water wherever beverages are sold also differentiates bottled water from tap.”

The report notes that polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottled water containers are ultralight in weight, using nearly 1/3 less plastic than PET soda bottles, which require thicker plastic due to carbonation. Increasingly, it says, bottled water companies are using postconsumer recycled plastic to make new bottles instead of using virgin plastic, drastically reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

“Whether consuming refreshing, high-quality water from a 3- or 5-gallon jug and watercooler or picking up a convenient, resealable, grab-and-go PET container, bottled water offers a healthy and smart choice,” says Jill Culora, IBWA’s vice president of communications.

“Consumers who choose bottled water know both options can lessen their personal environmental footprints when they choose water over other packaged drinks. Watercoolers provide thirst-quenching water from 3- and 5-gallon containers that are collected, cleaned, sanitized and reused 35-plus times before being recycled. And the market’s most popular, individual-sized PET plastic bottle is not only the most recognized as being recyclable but also the most common item in curbside bins (53 percent), making it easy for consumers to make the right choice and recycle rather than trash empty bottles.”

The IBWA’s report claims bottled water’s volume surpassed soft drinks for the first time in 2016 and has done so every year since. Americans consumed, on average, 47.3 gallons of bottled water in 2024.

“Consumer preference for convenient, safe and healthy bottled water is good news for public health,” Culora says. “This is particularly important as the nation continues to experience high rates of obesity, diabetes and heart disease.

“Helping people make healthier choices is at the core of the bottled water business. Consumers have made it clear that there’s a demand for safe, healthy and convenient bottled water, as they are responsible for propelling bottled water to the title of America’s most popular packaged beverage, by volume.”