Mineral water consumption grows significantly

Even in times of sharply increased inflation, people in Germany attach particular importance to a conscious diet and are increasingly turning to the natural product mineral water. According to the preliminary industry data 2022 of the Association of German Mineral Springs (VDM), the almost 160 mineral springs in Germany sold 10.1 billion litres of mineral and medicinal water last year. Compared to the previous year, sales of mineral water and medicinal water grew significantly by 6.8 percent. The calculated per capita consumption of mineral water also increased noticeably to 129.5 litres. This means that the consumption of natural mineral water has returned to the level it had before the beginning of the Corona crisis. Total sales of the mineral water industry in terms of mineral water, medicinal water and mineral water soft drinks rose by 6.6 percent to a total of 13.3 billion litres.

"In view of the hot summer and warm autumn of 2022 as well as the increased health awareness among the population, people in Germany are also drinking significantly more mineral water again," says Jürgen Reichle, Managing Director of the VDM. "Consumers appreciate the naturalness, the added value for a conscious and healthy diet and the unique taste of natural mineral water; they consciously choose the natural product, even in times of rising inflation."

According to a recent representative survey conducted by the opinion research institute YouGov on behalf of the VDM, the increased cost of living is not having a negative impact on the consumption of mineral water. At 57 percent, the vast majority of respondents say they have not changed their drinking behaviour. Over 20 percent also say they now drink more mineral water than tap water. A study by the opinion research institute Kantar concludes that 91 percent of mineral water drinkers consume the natural product because they consider it healthy. 90 percent of the mineral water consumers surveyed say they drink mineral water because it is a natural, pure product. 85 percent put taste as a major decision criterion for mineral water.

The energy and economic crisis, which has been ongoing since spring 2022, has also put massive pressure on the German mineral water industry. Sharp increases in energy and raw material costs as well as for packaging and strained supply chains have dominated the past business year and had an impact on the companies individually. Despite the tense situations, there have been no gaps in supplies to consumers. "There is a high demand for the natural product mineral water, which has increased significantly and can be safely met by the German mineral springs with their diverse range of products from more than 500 sources, even in difficult times," Reichle emphasises.

Natural mineral water has a special significance for the supply of the population. With a per capita consumption of almost 130 litres, mineral water statistically covers about a quarter of the daily liquid requirement. For this, mineral wells in Germany take less than 0.1 percent of the total volume of all water users from groundwater.

The data used is based on an online survey conducted by YouGov Deutschland GmbH, in which 2058 people participated between 30 January and 31 January 2023. The results were weighted and are representative of the German population aged 18 and over. The representative survey by the market research institute Kantar on behalf of VDM took place between 29.09. and 5.10.2021. 1,520 people from the German-speaking population living in private households in the Federal Republic of Germany aged between 15 and 65 were surveyed.