For the 10th consecutive year, bottled water was the nation’s No. 1 packaged beverage by volume in 2025, according to data released May 13 by the Beverage Marketing Corporation on behalf of the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA).
Bottled water outsold all other packaged beverages as health-conscious and price-aware consumers continued switching from other drinks. They surpassed soft drinks by volume for the first time in 2016 and has done so every year since. Americans consumed an average of 47.7 gallons of bottled water in 2025, or about 380 16.9-ounce bottles per person.
Its volume share of the refreshment beverages market reached 45.5 percent in 2025. Only energy drinks and coconut water posted very small gains in 2025 — fractions of a percent.
Retail sales for bottled water topped $51.3 billion, up 1.5 percent from 2024.
Price comparison
At roughly 2.4 cents per ounce, bottled water costs less than other packaged drinks:
- Energy drinks: nearly 20 cents per ounce;
- Fruit juice: about 10 cents per ounce; and
- Soda: around 7 cents per ounce.
‘Choose Water First’ campaign
IBWA is launching a new public education campaign called “Choose Water First” in 2026 as part of a strategic partnership with the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services. The campaign supports the most recent U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which recommend water as the primary beverage of choice for people of all ages beginning at 12 months.
“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,” said Matt Herrick, IBWA 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.”
IBWA will bring the campaign to grocery stores, office buildings, public schools and the nation’s capital this summer as part of the America 250 celebrations.
Recycling and packaging
According to IBWA, PET plastic water bottles use about one-third less plastic than soda bottles. Bottled water containers make up 48 percent of all plastic containers collected in curbside programs, compared to soda at 17 percent. Water delivered in 3- and 5-gallon jugs uses a closed-loop system where bottles are returned, cleaned, sanitized, refilled and reused many times before recycling.
FDA regulations governing the safety and quality of bottled water must be as protective of public health as EPA standards for tap water, IBWA noted, and in some cases bottled water regulations are more stringent.
About IBWA
Founded in 1958, the International Bottled Water Association represents the bottled water industry, which supports more than 617,000 jobs generating 42.5 billion in wages and 163 billion in overall U.S. economic impact.
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