People in Finland are drinking more bottled water than ever.
Consumption of mineral waters nearly doubled between 2015 and 2024, rising from 68 million litres to just under 116 million litres, according to statistics from the Federation of the Brewing and Soft Drinks Industry.
Actual total consumption is tens of millions of litres higher, as the association's statistics exclude figures from Finn Spring, Finland's largest bottled water producer, which is not a member of the group.
During the same period, consumption of beer and cider has dropped significantly. Lasse Pipinen, CEO of the Federation, attributes this change to people choosing a non-alcoholic, healthier alternative.
“Let’s not forget that flavoured waters have also entered the market,” he added
Finland is, however, renowned for its high-quality tap water. According to the City of Helsinki, a UN World Water Development Report found "water in Finland is the cleanest in the world."
Water bottle sales surge
The surge in bottled water consumption is clearly reflected in retail data, confirms Mikko Kovalainen, Sales Manager at S Group's grocery division.
"Sales of water have doubled in ten years."
According to S Group's statistics, sparkling water is purchased significantly more than still water.
At the same time, sales of non-alcoholic beers, long drinks, and wines have more than tripled in 10 years, supporting statistics from the Federation of the Brewing and Soft Drinks Industry.
Domestic domination
Bottled water consumption in Finland dates back to the 1990s, when Evian water first appeared on store shelves.
Today, the water market is dominated by domestic producers. According to Finnish Customs statistics, only 1.7 million litres of unsweetened sparkling water were imported into Finland last year — just one hundredth of the volume bottled locally.
Bottling company Finn Spring, which was founded in Central Ostrobothnia, produces nearly forty percent of the bottled water sold in Finland.
Sales and marketing director Iiris Nylander attributes the growth to customers turning to flavoured water as a healthy alternative to soda.
According to Nylander, the rise of multi-packs and rising living standards has also driven growth significantly.
"Stores sell cheap multipacks of 12 and 24 bottles. They act as loss leaders, used to boost sales," Nylander said.
