Note:
Europe’s soft drinks industry has constantly evolved to meet consumer demands and public health expectations. Major change has occurred over the last 20 years, as exemplified by the sector’s commitments to sugar reduction, package size reduction, no marketing and advertising practices to children, stringent school policies and clear consumer information, providing European consumers with more choices and facilitating moderate consumption patterns.
This page aims to bring more clarity to the debate on soft drinks consumption and overweight and obesity in Europe. It highlights the decreasing rates of soft drinks consumption in several European countries (where data is publicly available), and the role that soft drinks play in people’s intake of sugars. The sector is doing its part to contribute to balanced diets, as shown by recent national dietary intake data and data from the WHO’s Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) studies and the WHO European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative (COSI) reports. Yet, urgent action by all sectors of society is needed to effectively address the rates of overweight and obesity in Europe.
WHY RELIABLE, ROBUST AND EU-WIDE FOOD AND DRINK CONSUMPTION DATA IS SO IMPORTANT
There is no effective policymaking without up-to-date and reliable data. That’s why ensuring robust, comparable EU-wide food and drink consumption data will help to better understand what interventions can be effective. Based on our research, some of which we present on this page, existing consumption data for soft drinks is often outdated and not directly comparable, rendering it unsuitable for the formulation of sound policies.
Furthermore, we note that soft drink consumption has decreased in several European countries and that our sector is often not the primary contributor to sugars intake. This points to the need for policymakers to take a multi-faceted approach that considers all sources of calories and added sugars, not only sugar-sweetened beverages.
LET’S DEEP DIVE INTO THE AVAILABLE FOOD & DRINK CONSUMPTION DATA IN EUROPE
1. Looking at the most recent COSI data (2018-2020) for children across countries in Europe
In 2007, the World Health Organization (WHO) launched the European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative (COSI) to monitor trends in overweight and obesity among primary school children (6-9 years old) across WHO European Member States. COSI takes standardised weight and height measurements and collects information on school environments and dietary and physical activity habits. The aim is to assess the prevalence of childhood obesity and inform policy initiatives aimed at addressing this public health issue.
What conclusion can we draw from the latest COSI data for children? The data indicates that prevalence of frequent soft drink consumption does not appear to align with prevalence of overweight.
COSI tells us that some countries with very high rates of overweight have the lowest proportion of frequent soft drink consumers (e.g. Greece and Spain). Similarly, countries with lower rates of overweight (e.g. Czechia) have a higher proportion of frequent soft drink consumers.
-
6-9-year-olds who reported overweight (inc. obesity)
-
Total 6-9-year-olds consuming soft drink every day or most days (4-6 days/week)
25%
8%
30%
19%
21%
41%
19%
6%
26%
3%
39%
4%
35%
38%
24%
6%
39%
14%
25%
6%
24%
15%
33%
16%
32%
31%
31%
14%
26%
16%
27%
36%
Only data from European countries participating in the COSI and HBSC reports have been presented. The metrics presented are those as reported in the WHO COSI and HBSC reports respectively.
Sources:
2. Decreasing rates of daily consumption of sugary soft drinks of 11, 13, 15-year-olds in Europe (2001-2022) based on WHO data
For older children and adolescents, prevalence of daily sugary soft drink consumption has declined in 23 WHO European countries/regions between 2014 and 2018 (see map below), whilst over the same time period prevalence of overweight and obesity has increased in up to a third of countries/region (reference: HBSC 2018 report). The map shows the relative decline in the prevalence of daily consumers of sugary soft drinks between 2002 (2006 for Luxembourg and Iceland) and 2018 for 21 countries which had data for at least 4 consecutive years.
- < - 20%
- - 21 - 40%
- - 41 - 60%
- - 61 - 80%
- > - 81%
Adapted with permission from Copyright Clearance Center, Inc.: Springer Nature, European Journal of Nutrition, Long-term trends in the consumption of sugary and diet soft drinks among adolescents: a cross-national survey in 21 European countries. Chatelan, A., Lebacq, T., Rouche, M. et al. Copyright © 2022, Springer Nature (2022)
Prevalence of daily sugary soft drink consumption has continued to decline on average across the WHO European region to 2022 (see bar chart below).
-
2001
-
2006
-
2010
-
2014
-
2018
-
2022
11-year-olds who drink sugary soft drinks daily
26%
22%
18%
15%
14%
14%
13-year-olds who drink sugary soft drinks daily
30%
27%
23%
18%
17%
16%
15-year-olds who drink sugary soft drinks daily
30%
28%
25%
19%
17%
16%
Rates of daily sugary soft drink consumption either continue to decline or remain stable and low, whilst rates of overweight and obesity continue to increase slightly, or remain stable.
The disconnect between trends for daily sugary soft drinks consumption and rates of overweight and obesity points to the complex nature of overweight and obesity and the need to properly consider the multiple factors behind it.
Policymakers need to look at all sources of calories and added sugars, not only sugar-sweetened beverages, in addition to considering different dietary patterns and habits in each country. Addressing overweight and obesity requires coordinated and collective actions from across the entire food and drink industry.
3. Decreasing soft drink consumption rates in children or adolescents by country based on national dietary data’
When we analyse currently available national dietary data on soft drink intake in Europe, we observe that soft drink consumption has significantly decreased in several European countries.
We also note that more regular and ongoing monitoring of country-specific food consumption data is necessary, as indicated in a scientific review of data on soft drink intake in Europe from nationally representative food consumption surveys. This review highlights significant gaps and challenges regarding the availability of recent country-specific soft drink consumption data including heterogeneity in categorisations used in reporting soft drinks. Nonetheless, the review found that consumption of total soft drinks is decreasing with a noticeable shift towards soft drinks with reduced/no sugars rather than the sugars-containing versions.
Reduction in consumption of soft drinks including energy drinks (not reduced calorie)
between 2003-2006 and 2014-2017
DE
Reduction in consumption of soft drinks including energy drinks (not reduced calorie)
between 2003-2006 and 2014-2017
-
0
%
(children aged 7–10 years old)
Source: Mensink et al., 2018
-
0
%
(male adolescents aged 11–13 years old)
Source: Mensink et al., 2018
-
0
%
(adolescents aged 14–17 years old)
Source: Mensink et al., 2018
ES
Decreasing consumption of soft drinks by 3-9-year-olds
-
0
%
(1998-2012)
Source: EFSA Comprehensive European Food Consumption Database
IE
Decreasing consumption of soft drinks containing added sugars by 5-12-year-olds
-
0
%
(2003-2018)
Source: IUNA, National Children’s Food Surveys
Decreasing consumption of soft drinks containing added sugars by 13-18-year-olds
-
0
%
(2005-2006) and (2019-2020)
Source: IUNA, National Children’s Food Surveys
NL
Decreasing consumption of soft drinks with sugar by 7-17-year-olds
-
0
%
(2012-2016 and 2019-2021)
Source: DNFCS (2019-2021)
NO
Decreasing consumption of soft drinks containing added sugars by 9 and 13-year-olds
-
0
%
(2000-2015)
Source: Ungkost 2000 and Ungkost 3
SE
Decreasing consumption in soft drinks containing sugars in children aged 11-12-year-olds
-
0
%
(2003 and 2016-2017)
Source: Riksmaten-barn 2003 and Riksmaten ungdom 2016-2017
UK
Decreasing consumption of soft drinks containing added sugars by 4-10-year-olds
-
0
%
(2008-2019)
Source: NDNS (www.gov.uk)
4. What’s the contribution from different food categories to sugars intake?
When analysing recent available data on the contribution from different food categories to total sugars intake, the soft drinks sector is not necessarily the main contributor in many countries. Policymakers need to consider all sources of added sugars, not only sugar-sweetened beverages, and take a multi-faceted approach to encourage balanced diets. If taxation is considered, a broader tax that takes into account the sugar content in all food products would be a more appropriate alternative to a tax that targets only soft drinks.
It is also necessary that other food and drink categories act, because only collective efforts from the entire value chain will help deliver meaningful and positive health impacts.
Achieving sugar reduction milestones
Did you know that, over the past decades, the European soft drinks sector has actively contributed to reducing consumers’ intake of sugars with its sugar reduction commitments alongside its many other commitments? The sector already achieved notable milestones: a 13.3% reduction in average sugars between 2000 and 2015, and a further 14.6% reduction between 2015 and 2019, becoming the only sector to have responded to the EU call for a 10% added sugars reduction by 2020 – and reaching it well ahead of time. That was not all.
In June 2021, Europe’s soft drinks sector announced a new pledge to reduce sugar in its drinks by another 10% by 2025 in the EU27 and the UK. This will represent an impressive overall reduction of 33% in average sugars over the past two decades.
Source | Free sugars intake; 3-18-year-olds |
Sugar and sweets | 34.2% |
Juices | 21.6% |
Dairy products | 12.4% |
Sugar-sweetened beverages | 11.2% |
Sweet bread and cakes | 10% |
RTE cereals and mueslis | 4.8% |
Others | 4.5% |
Fruits and vegetables | 1.2% |
Survey: Donald study 2006-2016
Source: Perrar et al., 2020
Source | Total sugars intake; 4-75-year-olds |
Sugar and sweets | 52% |
Beverages | 24%* |
Fruit | 13% |
Milk | 3% |
Various | 3% |
Bread and cereals | 2% |
Vegetables | 1% |
Fish | 1% |
*Includes coffee, tea, water, soda, soft drinks, wine, and spirits, but not milk and juice.
Survey: Danish National Food Consumption Survey 2011-2013
Source: Pedersen et al., 2015
Source | Free sugars intake; 9-12-year-olds |
Chocolates | 22.7% |
Sugar-sweetened soft drinks | 17.9% |
Bakery and pastry | 16.1% |
Other dairy products | 9.69% |
Yogurt and fermented milks | 8.32% |
Juices and nectars | 6.57% |
Breakfast cereals and cereal bars | 4.06% |
Other sweets | 1.96% |
Sports drinks | 1.59% |
Jam and other | 1.53% |
Source | Free sugars intake; 13-17-year-olds |
Sugar-sweetened soft drinks | 30.2% |
Chocolates | 17.6% |
Bakery and pastry | 13.1% |
Sugar | 7.66% |
Juices and nectars | 6.47% |
Other dairy products | 5.74% |
Yogurt and fermented milks | 5.36% |
Breakfast cereals and cereal bars | 5.04% |
Other sweets | 1.72% |
Jam and other | 1.24% |
Energy drinks | 1.13% |
Ready-to-eat-meals | 1.10% |
Sauces and condiments | 0.86% |
Bread | 0.73% |
Sausages and other meat products | 0.45% |
Cheeses | 0.41% |
Milks | 0.32% |
Sports drinks | 0.32% |
Survey: ANIBES Survey 2013
Source: Ruiz et al., 2017
Source | Free sugars intake; 3-17-year-olds |
Other food sources | 17% |
Cakes and pastries | 16% |
Sugary drinks | 14% |
Fruit juices | 14% |
Dairy desserts | 9% |
Hot drinks | 6% |
Chocolate and chocolate bars | 6% |
Yogurts | 5% |
Biscuits | 5% |
Sugary products (sugar, honey, jam...) | 4% |
Breakfast cereals | 4% |
Survey: CREDOC 2019
Source: Deshayes et al., 2021
Source | Free sugars intake; 5-12-year-olds |
Sugars, confectionery, preserves & savoury snacks | 26.3% |
Biscuits, cakes & pastries | 18.0% |
Breakfast cereals | 11.0% |
Milk & yogurt | 10.2% |
Fruit & fruit juices | 10% |
Beverages | 9.6% |
Creams, ice-creams & chilled deserts | 7.7% |
Soups & sauces | 2.3% |
Meat & meat products | 2.1% |
Bread & rolls | 1.1% |
Surveys: National Children’s Food Survey II (2017-2018) and National Teen’s Food Survey II (2019-2020)
Source: IUNA, National Children’s Food Surveys (2017-2020)
Source | Total sugars intake; 1-17-year-olds |
Dairy products and substitutes | 23.3% |
Fruits, nuts & seeds, olives | 18.5% |
Non-alcoholic beverages | 18.3% |
Sugar and confectionery | 17.5% |
Cakes, sweets & biscuits | 10.1% |
Cereals and cereal products | 5.5% |
Survey: DNFCS 2019-2021
Source: RIVM
Source | Added sugars intake; 9-year-olds |
Sugar and sweets | 31% |
Juice, nectar, soda with sugar | 26% |
Cakes | 15% |
Source | Added sugars intake; 13-year-olds |
Sugar and sweets | 35% |
Juice, nectar, soda with sugar | 31% |
Cakes | 13% |
Survey: Ungkost 3 2015
Source: FHI
Source | Free sugars intake; 5-9-year-olds |
Sweets | 18.2% |
Soft drinks | 16.0% |
Yogurts | 11.8% |
Cookies | 10.6% |
Breakfast cereals | 10.3% |
Milkshakes | 10% |
Cakes | 8.0% |
Nectars | 5.0% |
Table sugar | 2.6% |
Infant cereals | 1.6% |
100% fruit juice | 2.8% |
Survey: National Food, Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey (IAN-AF, 2015)
Source: Marinho et al., 2020
Source | Free sugars intake; 12-18-year-olds |
Sugar-sweetened beverages | 30% |
Sweets and chocolates | 20% |
Sweet bakery products and desserts | 11% |
Juices (100% fruits and/or vegetables) | 11% |
Dairy products (sweetened) | 9% |
Sweet spreads | 5% |
Survey: Riksmaten ungdom, 2016-2017
Source: Wanselius et al., 2025
Source | Free sugars intake; 10-17-year-olds |
Bread and bakery | 21.2% |
Fruit and vegetable juices | 17.1% |
Soft drinks | 13.4% |
Dairy | 10.7% |
Confectionery | 9.2% |
Cereal and cereal products | 6.2% |
Survey: Slovenian National Food Consumption Survey 2017-2018
Source: Zupanic et al., 2020
Source | Free sugars intake; 4-10-year-olds |
Cereal and cereal products | 36% |
Sugar, preserves and confectionery | 18% |
Fruit and vegetable juices and smoothies | 15% |
Milk and milk products and alternatives | 13% |
Soft drinks | 8% |
Miscellaneous | 4% |
Source | Free sugars intake; 11-18-year-olds |
Cereal and cereal products | 33% |
Sugar, preserves and confectionery | 22% |
Soft drinks | 14% |
Fruit and vegetable juices and smoothies | 13% |
Milk and milk products and alternatives | 10% |
Miscellaneous | 4% |
Source: National Diet and Nutrition Survey. Results from Years 1 to 15 (2008 to 2023).
Data available from the UK Data Service