How Much Do Americans Spend on Soft Drinks?

Americans lead the world in soft drink consumption.

According to Reuters, Americans consume more soft drinks per capita---760 8-ounce servings each year---than any country in the world. By comparison, Mexico consumes 674 soft drinks per person, while China drinks just 39.

U.S. Sales

Americans spent $73.9 billion on regular and diet carbonated soft drinks in 2009, according to Beverage Digest. That figure grows to $115 billion when including non-carbonated beverages such as juice drinks, teas and energy drinks.

Trends

Sales of carbonated soft drink cases, including carbonated energy drinks, fell to 9.4 billion in 2009---a 2 percent drop from 2008, according to Beverage Digest. Case sales of soft drinks have declined an average of 2.1 percent each year since 2005.

Price Increases

Despite a decrease in soft drink sales volume, monetary sales increased 1.6 percent from 2008 to 2009. Beverage Digest reports the increase is due to an overall increase in soft drink prices, as well as increased sales of premium-priced energy drinks.

References

• Reuters.com: U.S. Soft Drink Consumption on the Decline
• Beverage Digest: Data and Statistics