Alexandria, VA, May 13, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — For the tenth consecutive year, American consumers have made bottled water the nation’s #1 packaged beverage, new data from the Beverage Marketing Corporation (BMC) shows.
Bottled water outsold, by volume, all other packaged beverages in 2025, the result of health-conscious and price-aware consumers continuing to make the wise switch from less healthy, more expensive drinks to clean and affordable bottled water.
Bottled water’s volume share of the refreshment beverages market was 45.5% in 2025, an impressive figure that keeps getting larger as soda and other drink volumes continue to decline. Only energy drinks and coconut water had very small (fractions of a percent) gains in 2025.
In terms of retail sales, bottled water topped $51.3 billion, up 1.5% from 2024.
Bottled water also dominated other beverages on affordability—it is by far the most wallet-friendly choice compared to other drinks. At roughly 2.4 cents per ounce, bottled water costs a fraction of other packaged drinks. Compare that to energy drinks at nearly 20 cents per ounce, fruit juice at about 10 cents, and soda at around 7 cents per ounce.
“It’s time to recognize bottled water as America’s official beverage of choice. Choosing water first helps keep Americans healthier because it contains one essential, zero-calorie ingredient: clean and refreshing water,” says Matt Herrick, International Bottled Water Association’s president and CEO. “As our country works to reverse troubling trends in obesity, diabetes, and heart disease, encouraging Americans to choose water instead of sugary drinks is a simple step with real impact.”
In 2026, IBWA is launching a new public education campaign called Choose Water First as part of a strategic partnership with the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services, in support of the most recent U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA). The 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines recommend water as the primary beverage of choice for people of all ages beginning at 12 months of age. IBWA will bring the message of Choose Water First to grocery stores, office buildings, public schools, and even to the Nation’s Capital this summer as part of the America 250 celebrations honoring our nation’s 250th anniversary. Stay tuned for more details.
Bottled water’s volume surpassed soft drinks for the first time in 2016 and has done so every year since. Americans consumed, on average, 47.7 gallons of bottled water in 2025, or approximately 380 16.9-ounce bottles of water per person.
Americans who choose bottled water can feel good about its sustainability record too. As the nation’s leader in packaging circularity, PET plastic water bottles use about 1/3 less plastic than soda bottles and are the most widely recycled drink packaging in most recycling programs. Bottled water containers make up 48% of all plastic containers collected in curbside programs, compared to soda, which makes up just 17%.
Water delivered to homes and offices via 3- and 5-gallon jugs is also a win for sustainability, as the bottles are returned, cleaned, sanitized, refilled, and used many dozens of times before being recycled, forming a closed-loop system.
Consumer confidence in the high quality and safety of bottled water is a key aspect of its success. By federal law, FDA regulations governing the safety and quality of bottled water must be as protective of public health as the EPA standards for tap water—and in some cases, bottled water regulations are more stringent.
Whether you are at home, in the office, or on the go, IBWA encourages all consumers to make healthy hydration a part of their lifestyle and continue to select bottled water as their packaged beverage of choice. And, of course, always recycle your empty containers—with the caps on.
For more information about bottled water, visit IBWA’s website: www.bottledwater.org.
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Media Contact:
Jill Culora
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703.647.4609
About the International Bottled Water Association
Founded in 1958, IBWA is the leading voice for the bottled water industry, which supports more than 617,000 jobs that generate $42.5 billion in wages and $163 billion in overall U.S. economic impact. IBWA provides members with professional services focused on advocacy, communications, technical services, and education to advance safe, healthy hydration and sustainable business practices. IBWA’s membership consists of bottlers, distributors, and suppliers across the U.S. and around the world working to deliver the #1 packaged beverage to consumers everywhere. For more information about IBWA, please visit www.bottledwater.org.
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