Global Premium Bottled Water Market Outlook, 2031

Premium bottled water covers still and sparkling waters sold at higher prices than standard packaged water because of their source, mineral profile, brand heritage, packaging or added functional features. It includes natural mineral waters from protected springs, spring waters, alkaline and electrolyte-enhanced waters, artesian and glacier-sourced waters, and purified waters with added minerals, sold in glass bottles, polyethylene terephthalate bottles, aluminium cans and cartons. Consumers buy them for taste, perceived purity, hydration, health positioning, status and as alternatives to sugary drinks and alcohol. Participants include Nestlé Waters brands such as Perrier, San Pellegrino and Vittel, Danone's Evian and Volvic, Coca-Cola's Topo Chico and Smartwater, PepsiCo's Aquafina and LIFEWTR, Fiji Water, Voss, Icelandic Glacial, Gerolsteiner, Ferrarelle, Acqua Panna, Liquid Death, Essentia, Alkaline88, Mountain Valley and many regional spring water companies. Competition also comes from home filtration, tap water, flavoured sparkling drinks and functional beverages, so brand and provenance are important. Large beverage groups hold many leading brands, while independent springs and craft sparkling water brands compete through design, origin stories and direct relationships with restaurants and retailers.

The category evolved between 2020 and 2026 as consumers moved away from sugary soft drinks, restaurants and hotels trimmed their water lists and sustainability concerns reshaped packaging. In the European Union, rules on natural mineral water require protected sources and no disinfecting treatment, and a 2024 controversy over treatments used by some producers in France drew attention to authenticity. The Single-Use Plastics Directive required tethered caps from July 2024 and minimum recycled content in plastic beverage bottles from 2025, while the new Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation entered into force in February 2025. Concerns over microplastics and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances have also increased scrutiny of quality. Through 2031, success will depend on source protection, transparent testing, recyclable or reusable packaging, premium service in restaurants and travel, functional innovation and the ability to defend higher prices against filtered tap water. Premium brands with strong provenance and sustainable packaging are expected to remain resilient. Between 2020 and 2026 premium water also benefited from rising out-of-home consumption, and by 2031 buyers are expected to give more weight to reuse systems and verified environmental performance.

Drivers •Health and Wellness Preferences and Premiumisation Consumers are reducing sugary drinks and alcohol and choosing water for hydration, taste and wellness, and many are willing to pay more for source quality, mineral content, sparkling styles and design. Premium water is used at meals, in hotels, at events and as a gift, and positions such as alkaline, electrolyte, low sodium, high silica or high magnesium waters appeal to specific health interests. Social media and fitness culture reinforce premium positioning and encourage trial of new brands.

•Growth of Hospitality, Travel and Fine Dining Restaurants, hotels, airlines and event venues offer curated water lists and serve premium glass-bottled waters as part of the dining experience, and recovering international travel and tourism since 2022 has supported demand. Fine dining and wellness resorts use water with sommeliers and pairing menus, adding prestige. Distribution in duty-free, airports and luxury retail places brands in front of affluent buyers, and gifting, corporate events and collaborations with chefs and designers build brand image.

Challenges •Plastic Waste, Packaging Rules and Environmental Scrutiny Bottled water is closely associated with plastic waste, carbon emissions from transport and water extraction concerns. The European Union requires tethered caps and rising recycled content in plastic bottles, and the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, in force since February 2025, sets wider reuse and recyclability goals. Glass bottles have a high transport footprint, and deposit return schemes add handling costs. Brands must invest in recycled materials, lighter bottles, refill systems and carbon reporting, while communities may challenge licences to extract spring water.



•Quality, Authenticity and Competition from Tap and Filtered Water Contaminants such as microplastics, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and nitrates can damage trust in a premium claim, and the 2024 questions over treatments used by some French natural mineral water producers showed that authenticity is fragile. Regulators in the United States are setting limits for certain contaminants in bottled water in line with drinking water rules. Consumers also have inexpensive alternatives such as filtered tap water, carbonation machines and refill stations, so premium brands must justify higher prices through provenance, taste and experience.

Trends •Functional, Alkaline and Mineral-Enhanced Waters Brands are adding electrolytes, magnesium, silica, hydrogen, vitamins and botanical flavours, and are promoting high pH or specific mineral profiles for sport, beauty and digestion. Sparkling waters with natural mineralisation and low-sugar flavours are growing, and canned water has become a lifestyle product. Claims are monitored by regulators, so leading brands support them with testing and clear labelling, and some partner with sports teams, clinics and wellness venues to build credibility.

•Sustainable and Reusable Packaging and Transparent Sourcing Premium brands are moving to 100 percent recycled plastic, refillable glass, aluminium cans and cartons, and some are adding refill systems for hotels and restaurants. Carbon neutral certifications, B Corporation status, source protection programmes and QR codes that show test results are used to demonstrate responsibility. Brands also provide on-premise dispensing of still and sparkling water in glass carafes in restaurants, reducing transport and giving venues a premium water offer.

Natural mineral water leads because protected sources, stable mineral composition and heritage justify premium pricing, while alkaline and functional waters grow fastest as consumers seek wellness benefits and distinctive taste. Natural mineral water is the largest premium type because it comes from protected underground sources, must keep a stable mineral composition and is bottled at source under strict rules, and brands such as Evian, Perrier, San Pellegrino and Gerolsteiner carry long heritage. These waters are especially important in Europe, where they are widely used at meals and in hospitality. Spring and artesian waters are drawn from natural springs or pressurised aquifers and are valued for purity and taste, with brands such as Fiji, Voss and Icelandic Glacial using origin and design to support prices. Purified and mineral-enhanced waters are processed, then re-mineralised for taste, and are favoured by large beverage groups because supply is flexible and the taste profile is consistent, as in Smartwater and Essentia. Alkaline and functional waters are the fastest growing group because they promote higher pH, electrolytes, magnesium or silica for sport and wellness, though scientific evidence for some claims is limited. Through 2031, functional and sparkling products are expected to expand quickly, while natural mineral water keeps the largest base because provenance, regulation and hospitality use support consistent demand and pricing. Labels that show source, mineral analysis and test results will be increasingly important to maintain trust.

Glass bottles lead premium positioning because they signal quality and suit hospitality, while PET bottles dominate volume and aluminium cans grow fastest through sustainability, portability and a younger consumer base. Glass bottles lead premium positioning because they preserve taste, look elegant on restaurant tables and are widely recycled, and they are the preferred choice for natural mineral and sparkling waters in hotels, restaurants and bars. They are heavy and costly to transport, and reuse systems can reduce the footprint where collection is organised. Polyethylene terephthalate bottles are the largest in volume because they are light, shatter-resistant and low-cost, and are used for retail sales, sport, travel and on-the-go use; regulations now require tethered caps and growing recycled content in the European Union. Aluminium cans are the fastest growing format because the material is infinitely recyclable, cans chill quickly, are light and appeal to younger buyers who want lifestyle and eco-friendly brands such as Liquid Death, and sparkling water cans have wide acceptance. Cartons and large dispensing formats, including water-in-box and refillable large bottles, serve households, offices and events and reduce plastic per litre. Through 2031, cans and recycled or refillable formats are expected to gain share, while glass remains a mark of luxury, and recycled PET is a main route for large retail volume. Deposit return and refill schemes will determine how quickly reuse formats can scale.

Food service and hospitality lead premium sales because restaurants, hotels and bars shape brand image and support higher prices, while online and direct-to-consumer channels grow fastest through subscriptions, bulk delivery and brand-owned stores. Food service and hospitality is the leading channel for premium waters because restaurants, hotels, bars, cafes and airlines present bottled water as part of the dining experience, and brands such as San Pellegrino, Acqua Panna and Perrier use chefs, sommeliers and awards to reinforce prestige. Margins are high, and glass bottles and branded glassware raise perceived value. Supermarkets and hypermarkets provide the widest reach for everyday premium purchases and promotions, including multi-packs of sparkling and mineral waters, and private-label premium ranges are growing. Specialty, convenience and travel retail, including gourmet stores, gyms, airports and duty-free shops, offer higher prices, impulse purchases and access to affluent travellers, and recovering travel has supported this channel. Online and direct-to-consumer sales are the fastest growing because consumers can order cases for home or office delivery, subscribe, and discover niche brands, though shipping heavy products raises cost and carbon concerns. Through 2031, online channels and subscription models are expected to expand, while hospitality remains central to brand building, and retailers continue to expand premium and functional water ranges to defend margins. Data sharing with retailers and venues helps brands plan assortment, pricing and promotion, and favours suppliers with strong logistics, premium presentation and reliable cold-chain handling of sparkling and glass products.

Households lead because regular purchases for home drinking and meals form the base of volume, while fitness and wellness users and corporate buyers grow as functional waters and premium hospitality spread. Households are the largest end users because affluent consumers regularly buy premium still and sparkling water for daily hydration, family meals and entertaining, often in multi-packs from supermarkets or by online subscription. Taste, safety concerns about local tap water in some regions and convenience are the main reasons, while some buyers prefer premium water over soft drinks. Hospitality and food service operators buy water as a menu item and as a service offering, and sparkling and mineral waters are used in cocktails, coffee and fine dining. Corporate, events and travel buyers include airlines, conference organisers, hotels and offices that serve premium water to clients and guests, and they value consistent supply, branding and sustainability credentials. Fitness and wellness users, including gyms, yoga studios, spas and athletes, buy alkaline, electrolyte and mineral-enhanced waters for hydration and recovery, and are the most open to functional claims. Through 2031, fitness and wellness users are expected to grow fastest, while households remain the largest group, and corporate buyers seek branded, sustainable packaging to align with their own environmental targets and guest experience. Pricing, availability and sustainability credentials will remain the main factors in purchase decisions.

Europe leads premium bottled water through heritage mineral springs, hospitality culture and strict source rules, while North America grows through wellness and sparkling trends, Asia-Pacific scales with rising incomes, and other regions expand through tourism and urban affluence. North America is a large and fast-evolving region in which premium water is driven by health and wellness preferences, a shift away from sugary drinks and the popularity of sparkling and functional products. Brands such as Fiji, Voss, Evian, San Pellegrino, Perrier, Topo Chico, Essentia, Smartwater, LIFEWTR and Liquid Death compete through retail, restaurants, sports venues and online subscriptions. The United States Food and Drug Administration regulates bottled water as a food and must set contaminant limits that match the Environmental Protection Agency's drinking water standards, so the agency is working on rules for certain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances after the Environmental Protection Agency set national limits in April 2024. Canada has similar federal rules and strong spring water brands, and Mexico is a large bottled water consumer with growing premium and sparkling products. Sustainability issues, including plastic waste, deposit systems and extraction licences, are an important consideration. Canned water and recycled plastic are gaining visibility, and home filtration competes at the lower end. By 2031, growth is expected from sparkling, functional and aluminium-packaged waters. Brands also face scrutiny over water extraction rights and community relations.

Europe is the heartland of premium bottled water, with a long tradition of natural mineral waters from France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland and other countries, and a culture of serving bottled water at meals. Brands such as Evian, Perrier, Vittel, San Pellegrino, Acqua Panna, Gerolsteiner, Ferrarelle and Badoit are widely consumed, and European rules protect the terms natural mineral water and spring water, requiring protected sources and excluding disinfection. In 2024, public attention to treatments used by some producers in France raised questions on enforcement and led to regulatory reviews. The Single-Use Plastics Directive requires tethered caps from July 2024 and minimum recycled content in plastic beverage bottles, and the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, in force since February 2025, sets wider reuse and recycling requirements, which are reshaping packaging in the region. Germany has deposit return schemes and a strong reuse tradition, while the Nordic countries also have high recovery rates. Sparkling water is especially popular and tourism supports premium sales in southern Europe. By 2031, growth is expected from premium glass in hospitality, refillable systems and functional mineral waters. Strong enforcement and consumer trust in source protection remain essential for premium pricing.

Asia-Pacific is the fastest growing region because rising incomes, urbanisation, concern about tap water quality and a growing middle class are raising demand for safe, branded and premium water. China has a large domestic bottled water industry with premium natural water brands from mountain and glacier sources, such as Tibet 5100, and strong demand for imported European waters among affluent consumers. Japan has a developed market for natural mineral and functional waters, including hydrogen-rich and low-sodium products, and many domestic brands. South Korea, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand have mature premium segments and strong interest in wellness. India has fast-growing packaged water consumption, and a small but rising premium sector led by international and domestic brands, with tourism and hospitality supporting demand. Southeast Asian countries are expanding through hotels and urban retail. Barriers include price sensitivity, import tariffs, counterfeit risk and growing attention to plastic waste, which has led several countries to introduce extended producer responsibility rules. By 2031, the region is expected to deliver the largest additional volume and rising premium sales. Collaboration with local distributors and e-commerce platforms is helping international brands reach new cities.

Latin America combines high bottled water consumption with a smaller premium segment, since concerns about tap water quality make packaged water common among all income groups. Mexico is among the largest bottled water consumers in the world and has well-known sparkling brands such as Topo Chico and local premium waters, and Brazil has a large market led by domestic and global beverage groups with a growing mineral and sparkling segment. Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Peru have developing premium offerings, helped by tourism, upscale restaurants and growing wellness trends. Imported European and North American brands are sold in supermarkets, hotels and specialty stores, and domestic springs in the Andes and Patagonia provide local origin stories. Barriers include price sensitivity, currency volatility, import duties, logistic costs and plastic waste concerns, with many countries introducing extended producer responsibility for packaging. Large beverage companies use broad distribution networks to expand premium and sparkling lines. Home and office water dispensers in large containers compete at the lower price end. By 2031, growth is expected from urban affluent consumers, sparkling water, tourism and hospitality recovery, and local premium spring brands. Tourism recovery and premium restaurant growth should support selective premium expansion.

The Middle East and Africa are growing regions where bottled water is essential in many places, and premium products serve affluent consumers, hotels, tourism and events. The Gulf countries have some of the highest bottled water consumption per person, because of limited natural freshwater, high temperatures and a reliance on desalinated tap water that many consumers do not prefer for drinking. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar have local premium brands and imports from Europe, and luxury hotels, airlines and events use glass-bottled waters. Turkey has a large domestic bottled water sector with natural mineral brands, and Israel has local spring and mineral water producers. In Africa, South Africa has the most developed premium segment, and Nigeria, Kenya, Egypt and Ghana have growing urban consumers who are shifting toward branded bottled and sparkling waters. Barriers include price sensitivity, infrastructure, counterfeit products, plastic waste and variable regulation. Companies are investing in local bottling plants and recycling programmes. By 2031, growth is expected from Gulf hospitality and tourism, affluent urban consumers and local production of premium and sparkling waters. Recycling initiatives and local bottling investments could reduce import dependence and improve sustainability.

August 2026 – EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation begins to apply: The regulation, which entered into force in February 2025, starts to apply on 12 August 2026 and sets reuse, recyclability and labelling requirements that affect bottled water packaging.

February 2025 – EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation enters into force: The regulation sets longer-term targets for recyclable, reusable and recycled-content packaging across beverage categories.

January 2025 – Minimum recycled content applies to plastic beverage bottles in the EU: The Single-Use Plastics Directive requires that PET beverage bottles contain at least 25 percent recycled plastic from 2025, rising to 30 percent for all plastic bottles from 2030.

July 2024 – Tethered caps required on beverage containers in the EU: Caps of single-use plastic beverage bottles must remain attached under the Single-Use Plastics Directive, changing closure design for premium and mainstream water brands.

April 2024 – US EPA sets national drinking water limits for PFAS: The standards trigger a requirement for the FDA to consider matching limits for bottled water, increasing attention to testing and source quality.

January 2024 – Questions over treatments at French natural mineral water sources: Reports of unauthorised filtration and treatment at some sites led to investigations and renewed debate on authenticity rules for natural mineral water.


Considered in this report
• Historic Year: 2020
• Base Year: 2025
• Estimated Year: 2026
• Forecast Year: 2031

Aspects covered in this report
• Global Premium Bottled Water Market with its segments and regional outlook
• Various drivers and challenges
• Ongoing trends and developments
• Key developments and regulatory milestones

By Water Type
• •Natural mineral water
• •Spring and artesian water
• •Purified and mineral-enhanced water
• •Alkaline and functional water

By Packaging Material
• •Glass bottles
• •Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles
• •Aluminium cans
• •Cartons and large dispensing formats

By Distribution Channel
• •Food service and hospitality (on-trade)
• •Supermarkets and hypermarkets
• •Specialty, convenience and travel retail
• •Online and direct-to-consumer

By End User
• •Households
• •Hospitality and food service operators
• •Corporate, events and travel
• •Fitness and wellness users