Europe Sparkling Bottled Water Market Size (2024-2030)

The European sparkling bottled water market was valued at USD 6.88 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach a market size of USD 10.14 billion by the end of 2030. Over the forecast period of 2024–2030, the market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 5.7%. 

Sparkling water brands associated with specific mineral sources, stylish packaging, and unique flavor profiles command a premium, establishing a niche beyond simple thirst-quenching. The environmental impact of bottled water (plastic, transport) is a growing concern and a potential challenge for the industry, which is proactively responding with solutions. Consumers view sparkling water as a healthy alternative to sugary drinks. The zero-calorie, sugar-free segment is booming, particularly among health-conscious individuals. Plain sparkling water is expanding into a world of flavors, from classic citrus and berry blends to unique combinations inspired by herbs, spices, and even floral notes. High mineral-content sparkling waters gain popularity. Brands are emphasizing the health benefits and taste profiles linked to their unique mineral compositions. Increased use of recycled plastic (rPET), the rise of aluminum cans, and a focus on reducing transport distances are all market responses to environmental concerns.

Key Market Insights:

The shift away from sugary sodas and artificially sweetened beverages has propelled sparkling water into the spotlight. It offers the refreshment and fun of carbonation without the health downsides. Flavored sparkling water with natural fruit essences or herbal notes delivers a guilt-free alternative to flavored sodas and caters to diverse taste preferences. Sparkling water, often dressed up in elegant bottles, has become a sophisticated choice for those seeking a bubbly beverage without alcohol at social events or when dining out. Sparkling water is perceived as a way to make healthy hydration more interesting and appealing, turning a simple act into an enjoyable ritual. Like other beverage categories, consumers are showing a willingness to pay more for premium sparkling water brands. This is driven by perceptions of higher quality, sophisticated flavors, and eye-catching packaging that aligns with a 'wellness' lifestyle. Bottled water brands are increasingly showcasing their unique origins, often with a focus on natural mineral content, aquifer purity, and links to pristine natural environments. As with many products, consumers are scrutinizing the environmental credentials of sparkling water. Brands are responding with recyclable glass bottles, reduced plastic packaging, and initiatives supporting water conservation. Sparkling water, particularly flavored varieties, offers a canvas for innovative marketing campaigns emphasizing refreshment, indulgence, and aligning with healthy, active lifestyles. While a smaller segment, expect to see the emergence of sparkling waters fortified with vitamins, electrolytes, or even probiotics tapping into both the hydration and functional food trends.

Europe's Sparkling Bottled Water Market Drivers:

A focus on health and well-being plays a major role in the popularity of sparkling bottled water, positioning it as a preferred alternative to many traditional beverages.

Sparkling water, particularly brands emphasizing natural mineral content or simple ingredient lists, aligns with the broader trend towards clean food and beverage choices devoid of additives and unnecessary sweeteners. Marketing messages highlighting the importance of hydration dovetail nicely with the appeal of sparkling water.  It breaks the monotony of plain water, making healthy hydration less of a chore and more of a pleasurable experience. For those watching their calorie intake, flavored sparkling water can be a way to satisfy a sweet craving without the guilt. The carbonation enhances the flavor experience, minimizing the need for sugary additions. Wellness is no longer just about the absence of disease but a proactive focus on physical and mental well-being. Choosing sparkling water aligns with taking charge of one's health through seemingly 'small' everyday decisions. The popularity of probiotic drinks and fermented foods highlights gut health awareness. While not directly a probiotic beverage, sparkling water's lack of sugar and artificial additions make it a safe and digestion-friendly choice in this context. The availability of affordable sparkling water options is crucial for broad adoption as a healthy substitute. Premium brands fulfill a niche, but widespread growth relies on everyday accessibility.

Sparkling water has transcended its basic beverage status, evolving to become part of creating sophisticated moments and filling a void left by declining alcohol consumption in some segments.

Flavored sparkling water is where major innovation happens. Brands are no longer content with basic lemon-lime. There is a focus on nuanced flavors inspired by seasonal fruits, botanical infusions, and culinary concepts. These offer an element of surprise and discovery. Consumers seek ways to treat themselves without completely derailing their health goals. Sparkling water, particularly flavored varieties, provides a sensory experience mimicking the celebratory feeling of a special drink, yet without excess calories or alcohol's drawbacks. The packaging of sparkling water itself has become a way to express style. Sleek cans and elegant glass bottles, often with minimalist designs, project a sense of premium sophistication and clean aesthetics. Whether for health reasons, lifestyle choices, or a simple desire for more mindful drinking habits, a growing segment, especially among younger generations, is choosing alcohol-free options, and sparkling water fits perfectly. Restaurants and bars are revamping their non-alcoholic menus. Sparkling water serves as their creative foundation, a bubbly and complex canvas for inventive 'mocktails' made with fresh juices, house-made syrups, and culinary flair. Social media, blogs, and trendsetters within the wellness space often promote sparkling water or mocktail recipes using it, tapping into the desire for healthy indulgence and providing visual inspiration.

Europe's Sparkling Bottled Water Market Restraints and Challenges:

While sparkling water offers a healthier alternative to sugary drinks, its environmental impact is increasingly scrutinized. This presents a multi-faceted challenge. Sparkling bottled water, while gaining popularity, faces a fundamental challenge of price and consumer value perception.

A significant portion of sparkling water is packaged in plastic bottles. While recycling rates vary across Europe, the association of bottled water with plastic pollution and landfill waste negatively impacts consumer perception. Even recyclable packaging has an environmental cost.  The energy and resources used in the manufacturing, transportation, and recycling of bottles contribute to carbon emissions. As consumers become smarter about sustainability claims, simply using recyclable materials isn't enough. Brands need to showcase holistic efforts towards a smaller environmental footprint to gain trust. For some consumers, the very concept of paying for bottled water remains a sticking point, no matter how premium the brand or flavor is. This is particularly true where tap water is readily available and perceived as safe. Premium sparkling waters positioned as 'indulgent' face vulnerability during economic downturns.  Consumers might revert to cheaper alternatives or plain tap water if budgets tighten. While the premium segment is important, ensuring a range of price points for sparkling water is crucial to prevent it from remaining a niche product only accessible to the most affluent.

European Sparkling Bottled Water Market Opportunities:

While sparkling water already benefits from its healthy hydration image, marketing that positions it as a refreshing pick-me-up during a hectic day, combating both thirst and fatigue, has untapped potential. Innovative can designs, durable yet elegant glass bottles in smaller formats, and even multi-packs designed for easy transport align with this 'on-the-go' market. Sparkling water brands gaining prime shelf space in convenience stores, gas stations, and airport retailers can intercept consumers looking for a healthy, flavorful alternative to sugary sodas or energy drinks. While already popular post-gym, there's room to position sparkling water as a revitalizing choice for commuters, students pulling long study sessions, or anyone needing a break from plain water during a jam-packed day. Flavor combinations inspired by global cuisines, interesting spices, and unexpected savory-sweet pairings can attract adventurous palates. Taking inspiration from fashion or other beverage categories, releasing seasonal or limited-edition flavors creates a sense of excitement and the urge to try them before they disappear. Partnerships with local farmers and showcasing regional berries, herbs, or unique citrus varieties tap into both consumer curiosity and the desire to support local agriculture. Collaboration with mixologists or bloggers to develop original mocktail recipes using specific flavored sparkling waters expands their use and positions them as premium ingredients, not just a drink on their own. Sparkling water with added electrolytes can compete with sports drinks as the clean image of water as its foundation and the bubbly twist for added appeal post-workout. Sparkling waters with added prebiotics or targeted probiotic strains could gain traction as knowledge about gut health's importance becomes more mainstream. High-tech reusable bottles that track hydration intake, partnering with refill stations, or innovative subscription models could appeal to the eco-conscious and tech-savvy consumer. Integration with apps allows consumers to calculate their plastic bottle reduction by choosing sparkling water, highlighting the environmental benefit of their choice.

EUROPE SPARKLING BOTTLED WATER MARKET REPORT COVERAGE:

Europe Sparkling Bottled Water Market Segmentation:

Europe Sparkling Bottled Water Market Segmentation: By Type

• Plain Sparkling Water
• Flavored Sparkling Water
• Functional Sparkling Water

Flavored sparkling water is the largest and fastest-growing segment. This includes waters infused with natural fruit essences, herbs, botanicals, and even flavors inspired by desserts or global cuisines. This is where innovation and trendy flavors drive a large portion of market growth. It holds a significant share, approximately 60–65% of the market. This is where consumer desire for a healthier alternative to soda and adventurous flavor-seeking drive substantial growth. Plain sparkling water is a type of carbonated water without any added flavors or enhancements. Brands here focus on emphasizing the purity of their water source, natural mineral content, and sometimes the sensory experience of the carbonation itself. This holds roughly 30–35% of the market. Foundational to the category, but growth is somewhat slower compared to the flavored segment. Functional sparkling water is a smaller but growing niche. These contain added functional ingredients like electrolytes, vitamins, minerals, probiotics, or calming botanicals.  This segment aims to provide a hydration experience with targeted benefits beyond simply quenching thirst. Currently, it represents a smaller share, around 5–10%. However, with increasing interest in functional beverages, this segment exhibits strong growth potential.

Europe Sparkling Bottled Water Market Segmentation: By Packaging

• Plastic Bottles (PET)
• Glass Bottles
• Cans

Plastic bottles (PET) are the largest and fastest-growing category due to their convenience, durability, and wide range of sizes for different consumption occasions. This holds an overall share of 55–65%. It has benefits such as lightweight, shatterproof, and versatile size options for on-the-go or family consumption. Production costs for PET are often lower than glass or cans, allowing brands to offer a range of price points, appealing to a broader market. Glass bottles are traditionally associated with premium sparkling waters, often emphasizing mineral water origins, and are favored in the restaurant and fine dining segments. The estimated share is 20–30%. With benefits such as elevated presentation and perceived higher quality, some glass is highly recyclable. Cans are making significant inroads within the sparkling water market, driven by a modern aesthetic and positive sustainability perception. The estimated market share is 10–15%, showing the strongest growth trends. It is seen as highly recyclable, lightweight, and space-efficient for retailers, with a portion control option.  

Europe Sparkling Bottled Water Market Segmentation: Regional Analysis:

• UK
• Germany
• France
• Italy
• Spain
• Rest of Europe

Germany is the largest market within Europe, boasting a long tradition of sparkling bottled water consumption and a strong consumer preference for natural mineral water varieties. The UK is the fastest-growing market. Changing consumer preferences and a focus on value-priced offerings in recent years are accelerating the growth rate. The French market exhibits steady demand for sparkling bottled water, with growth often driven by flavored and functional sparkling options. Italy is a traditionally significant market for bottled water due to its warmer climate. Sparkling varieties are gaining popularity, particularly in the north. Spain is a large market with significant regional variations.  Sparkling bottled water is traditionally popular but now faces increasing competition from both tap water improvements and the rise of at-home sparkling water systems. The rest of Europe encompasses diverse nations, including Scandinavian countries and Eastern and Central Europe. Sparkling bottled water consumption varies greatly, offering pockets of high growth potential.

COVID-19 Impact Analysis on the European Sparkling Bottled Water Market:

Early in the pandemic, factory slowdowns, border closures, and disruptions in raw material sourcing (such as glass bottles and cans) created temporary shortages for some brands, impacting their ability to meet consumer demand. Lockdowns, work-from-home mandates, and the closure of restaurants and cafes massively reduced consumers' 'on-the-go' sparkling water consumption. Brands that relied heavily on these channels faced significant setbacks. Job losses and financial anxieties led some consumers to trade down from premium sparkling water brands to more budget-friendly options, impacting market share dynamics. Early on, there was a surge in purchasing larger, multi-pack formats of sparkling water, driven by a desire to stockpile essentials and minimize trips to the supermarket. Sparkling water partially filled the void left by reduced dining out and canceled social gatherings. It provided an element of 'special occasion' within the confines of home.  Lockdown wellness became a focus for many, boosting interest in sparkling water as part of an overall healthier beverage routine and cutting down on sugary drinks. Brands, both big and small, invested heavily in their online presence, direct-to-consumer sales, and partnerships with online grocery platforms. This created essential new revenue streams and will have long-lasting effects. The pandemic intensified the consumer's focus on health. Brands emphasizing natural mineral content or functional sparkling waters with added benefits saw an uptick in interest. Increased demand for single-serve can options for hygiene concerns and larger home-use bottle formats highlighted a change in consumption patterns. Sparkling water brands experimented with subscription models and curated mixed flavor sets delivered directly to homes, catering to convenience and sparking adventurous trials of new varieties.

Latest Trends/ Developments:

Moving beyond single-herb flavors towards sophisticated blends. Elderflower and chamomile, pear and hibiscus, or even combinations like watermelon and mint, offer a multi-layered taste sensation. Flavored sparkling waters increasingly position themselves as the foundation of elaborate alcohol-free drinks. Expect flavors designed specifically with mixology in mind, showcasing unique flavor profiles that play well with others. Smaller brands partner with local farmers or utilize fruits, herbs, or botanicals specific to their region.  This taps into both the desire for unique flavors and the growing popularity of farm-to-bottle concepts. Sparkling waters with added electrolyte blends were once exclusive to the sports recovery market. More innovation in sparkling water with targeted vitamins (specific D3 + K2 blends, etc.) or mineral combinations (magnesium and calcium) tailored to common consumer concerns is anticipated. Sparkling waters incorporating antioxidants, adaptogens, or stress-reducing botanicals position themselves within the broader wellness trend.

Key Players:

1. Nestlé
2. Danone
3. The Coca-Cola Company
4. PepsiCo
5. Gerolsteiner Brunnen
6. Highland Spring Group
7. Acque Minerali d’Italia
8. Karlovarske Mineralni Vody