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 in 2023 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 twenty or so countries covered by the study, Italy, Mexico and Brazil are home to the most regular consumers of bottled water, at between two-thirds and three-quarters of the population.
