According to figures from drinks consultancy Zenith International, global drinks consumption rose by 2.5 per cent during 2005 and is set to pass 1.6 trillion litres in 2009.
The information, shown on the company's newly updated globaldrinks.com online database, reveals that the total volume consumed was 1.47 trillion litres, equivalent to 227ltrs per person.
The rise in beverage sales was driven by soft drinks, whose worldwide consumption increased by 3.9 per cent to 499 billion litres, equal to 77ltrs per person.
In the context of growing concern over obesity levels and greater public interest in health, the advance of soft drinks was led by 'better for you' categories such as bottled water, fruit drinks and functional drinks.
Zenith expects this trend to continue, with bottled water set to beat carbonated soft drinks by 2009 and still drinks fast approaching the combined volume of dilutables, nectars and fruit juices.
Worldwide, milk drinks and hot drinks remain major competitors for 'share of throat', although the popularity of soft drinks with children - alongside higher demand for bottled water and fruit juices amongst adults - has weakened the position of milk.
At the same time, more widespread preference for cold beverages, especially iced tea, is slowing down the pace of hot drinks.
Alcoholic drinks are reported to have experienced mixed fortunes in recent years, though overall growth rates have been fairly steady if modest. Alcohol has faced numerous changes in government taxation as well as a range of emerging new drinking habits. The appearance of pre-mixed spirits helped boost the spirits sector for a time, but these have now waned as fashions move on.
Amongst the latest findings revealed by globaldrinks.com are: tea is the world's most popular drink at 57ltrs per person in 2005, followed by milk and carbonates; bottled water is the fastest growing market; Asia/Australasia has the highest regional share of world consumption at 34 per cent of the total in 2005; and eastern Europe has achieved the greatest consumption growth per person, rising by 69ltrs per person over the last five years.
The three largest national markets in 2005 were the US, China and India, with Brazil and Japan some way behind in fourth and fifth places.
globaldrinks.com provides a comprehensive analysis on 14 beverage categories across 75 profiled countries and seven continental regions from 1999 to 2009. It covers all hot drinks, milk drinks, soft drinks and alcoholic drinks.
Pic: bottled water is reported to be the world's fastest growing market
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