AUSTRALIA | A landmark 28-year analysis of Australian non-alcoholic drink sales has revealed major shifts in what Australians are choosing from the beverage aisle.
The research, conducted by FOODiQ Global and published in the peer-reviewed, scientific journal Nutrients, is the longest-running study of its kind globally. It examined non-alcoholic, water-based beverage sales in Australia, from 1997 to 2024, building on three previously published studies.
The paper also provides additional sales data on kombucha, flavoured milk, juice and fruit drinks from 2015 to 2024. The independent research was commissioned by the Australian Beverages Council and launched at an industry briefing today.
Key research findings included:
- Australians are buying fewer sugar-sweetened carbonated drinks and more low- and no-sugar options. In 1997, sugar-sweetened water-based beverages accounted for 70 percent of the category. By 2024, this figure fell to 35 percent. In contrast, low- and no-sugar varieties have doubled their market share, from 30 percent to 65 percent in the same period.
- Water is driving market growth. Still and sparkling water’s market share has grown from 4.8 percent to 36 percent in the 28-year period. In 2024, still and sparkling water outsold sugar-sweetened carbonated soft drinks.
- Less sugar in water-based drinks. The sugar content of water-based drinks has halved since 1997, including a 31 percent reduction in the sugar content of carbonated soft drinks.
Australian Beverages Council Chief Executive Officer Geoff Parker said the world-first data analysis provided an unprecedented and comprehensive view of how Australia’s beverage market had evolved.
“Australians are making different drink choices today than they were three decades ago and are actively seeking more low- and no-sugar options,” said Parker.
“These long-term trends reflect sustained, proactive action by the industry to expand the range of drinks available to consumers and reduce sugar across beverage portfolios.”
According to the FOODiQ Global researchers, there has been a consistent shift away from purchases of sugar-sweetened varieties toward non-sugar-sweetened and unsweetened varieties, a pattern that appears to have accelerated in 2015, in alignment with the initiation of the industry’s Sugar Reduction Pledge.
The data showed the rate of decline in sugar-sweetened carbonated drink sales increased by 50 percent between 2015 and 2024, following the introduction of the Sugar Reduction Pledge,1 the industry’s voluntary initiative to reduce sugar across portfolios.
“This research underpins the importance of robust, evidence-based policies. It is clear that industry strategies are supporting consumers to make informed decisions about their drink choice without the need for regressive policies that add to already constrained household budgets and that fail to deliver any demonstrable health benefits,” said Parker.
The 28-year trends research findings reinforced and complemented existing data, including recent ABS consumption findings, which showed the proportion of Australians consuming sugar-sweetened beverages decreased from 43.2 percent in 1995 to 20.9 percent in 2023.
The trends research also examined changes across additional beverage categories. Juice consumption declined by 15 percent between 2015 and 2024. There was a sharper fall in sales of fruit drinks with added sugar, down 27 percent, compared to sales of 100 percent juice with no added sugar, down 6 percent.
Australians bought more flavoured milk, with a 37 percent sales increase, and kombucha was a growing market segment.
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