Soft Drinks Market Report 2026

The soft drinks market size has grown steadily in recent years. It will grow from $482.25 billion in 2025 to $504.44 billion in 2026 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.6%. The growth in the historic period can be attributed to rising urbanization and disposable income, expansion of global retail distribution, strong brand penetration across regions, increasing consumption of carbonated beverages, growth of convenience food culture.

The soft drinks market size is expected to see steady growth in the next few years. It will grow to $612.46 billion in 2030 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to growing demand for health-oriented beverages, increasing online beverage sales, expansion of emerging market consumption, rising innovation in flavor and formulation, growing focus on sustainable packaging. Major trends in the forecast period include increasing demand for low-sugar beverage variants, expansion of functional and fortified soft drinks, rising popularity of natural flavor formulations, growth of premium and craft soft drinks, enhanced focus on packaging innovation.

The growing demand for food and beverages is expected to drive the growth of the soft drink market going forward. The food and beverage sector includes organizations involved in the processing, packaging, and distribution of raw food and drink products. Consumers are increasingly opting for ready-to-consume beverages that offer healthier profiles and a variety of flavors; as a result, the expansion of the food and beverage industry is supporting the growth of the soft drinks market. For instance, in May 2024, according to the 2024 Annual Report published by the British Soft Drinks Association, a UK-based trade association, total soft drink consumption rose to 15.34 billion liters in 2023, up from 14.91 billion liters in 2022. Therefore, the rising demand for food and beverages is driving the growth of the soft drink market.

Major companies operating in the soft drinks market are concentrating on the introduction of innovative offerings, such as functional sparkling beverages, to address changing consumer preferences and enhance product differentiation. Functional sparkling beverages are carbonated drinks formulated with added benefits, including vitamins, natural fruit extracts, botanicals, probiotics, or reduced sugar content, providing both refreshment and functional health benefits. For instance, in January 2023, PepsiCo Inc., a US-based food, snack, and beverage company, introduced STARRY, a lemon-lime flavored soda. STARRY is caffeine-free and offered in multiple pack sizes, delivering a refreshing lemon-lime taste that is easy to drink, well-balanced in sweetness, and designed to offer a clean and crisp flavor experience. The product also features stronger and more aromatic citrus notes that more closely reflect natural fruit flavors compared to Sierra Mist.

In January 2025, Carlsberg Group, a Denmark-based beverage company, acquired Britvic plc for an undisclosed amount. Through this acquisition, Carlsberg seeks to establish a fully integrated beverage operation in the United Kingdom, broaden its footprint in the soft drinks segment, and reinforce its strategic bottling partnership with PepsiCo. Britvic plc is a UK-based company that provides branded soft drinks, juices, mixers, and licensed beverage products.

Major companies operating in the soft drinks market are Pepsico. Inc., The Coca-Cola Company, Keurig Dr Pepper Inc., Red Bull GmbH, Monster Energy Company, Asahi Group Holdings Ltd., Kirin Brewery Company Limited, National Beverage Corp., Arizona Beverage Company, Parle Agro Pvt Ltd., Postobon S.A., Purity Soft Drinks Ltd., Britvic plc, Suntory Holdings Limited, Cott Corporation, Big Red Inc., Faygo Beverages Inc., Jones Soda Co., Polar Beverages, Royal Crown Cola International, Shasta Beverages Inc., Sodastream International Ltd., Talking Rain Beverage Co., Ajegroup.

North America was the largest region in the soft drinks market in 2025. The regions covered in the soft drinks market report are Asia-Pacific, South East Asia, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East and Africa. The countries covered in the soft drinks market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Italy, Spain, Canada.

The soft drink market consists of sales of energy soft drinks, soda drinks, and ginger ale soft drinks. Values in this market are ‘factory gate’ values, that is, the value of goods sold by the manufacturers or creators of the goods, whether to other entities (including downstream manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, and retailers) or directly to end customers. The value of goods in this market includes related services sold by the creators of the goods.

The market value is defined as the revenues that enterprises gain from the sale of goods and/or services within the specified market and geography through sales, grants, or donations in terms of the currency (in USD unless otherwise specified).

The revenues for a specified geography are consumption values that are revenues generated by organizations in the specified geography within the market, irrespective of where they are produced. It does not include revenues from resales along the supply chain, either further along the supply chain or as part of other products.

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