Overall, the quality of tap water is pretty good in Europe, with 99 percent of the population in many countries having access to safely managed drinking water (data from 2022).
Yet, as data from a Statista Consumer Insights survey reveals, a sizable chunk of respondents questioned between October 2024 and September 2025 said they regularly drink bottled water (daily or weekly consumption). This is despite the fact that the plastic waste generated is harmful to the environment, and that bottled water is much more expensive: up to 100 times more expensive than tap water. What's more, several scientific studies have shown that bottled water is a leading source for human intake of microplastics, and could therefore potentially have harmful effects on health.
As the following chart shows, of the 32 countries covered by the study, Italy, Mexico and Brazil are home to some of the most regular consumers of bottled water, at between 64 to 70 percent of the population.
