In this article, we will be covering the 20 most expensive bottled water brands in the world. This article will cover recent industry trends and navigate through the major players in the industry. If you want to skip our analysis, go directly to the 5 Most Expensive Bottled Water Brands in the World.
Outlook of the Bottled Water Industry
According to a report by Grand View Research, the global bottled water industry reached $326 billion in 2023 and is expected to grow to $509 billion by 2030, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.9% over the forecasted period. The consumption of bottled water peaked at 46.5 gallons per capita, with the single-serving size accounting for the highest volume of water bottles sold. Water bottles labeled alkaline, caffeinated, oxygenated, or electrolyte-rich have been among the highest-selling products in the industry. In 2022, still-water sales formed 74.5% of the revenue earned by the bottled water industry. The consistent popularity of still water stems from consumers' preference for safe drinking water amid growing rates of diseases such as typhoid and diarrhea. PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP)'s Aquafina and The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO)'s Dasani have successfully become 2 of the top selling water brands in the US by capitalizing on this demand for safe water and producing purified sodium-free water with added minerals.
The second most popular bottled water segment is functional water, which is forecasted to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of nearly 7% by the end of the decade. The increasing popularity of this type of water is also attributed to the consumers' increasing concern for their health and fitness. Functional water, also known as aquaceutical, contains supplements such as minerals, vitamins, proteins, and acids for added nourishment. The introduction of aquaceutical has opened a new avenue for the expansion of the bottled-water industry in the future.
Nearly 89% of bottled water in 2022 was sold off-trade in retail outlets such as supermarkets, hypermarkets, and departmental stores. These sales are mainly driven by brand identity and customer loyalty, which largely stems from the quality of water that brands have to offer. While the off-trade distribution dominates the market, the on-trade market segment is expected to experience faster growth in the foreseeable future. On-trade revenue, which is earned by the sale of bottled water in restaurants and bars, will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.1% between 2023 and 2030.
Another pertinent classification within the bottled water industry is that of packaging material. Water sold in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) packaging accounted for 80% of the industry's revenue, outweighing aluminum cans and glass bottles. Producers prefer PET because of low production and transport costs, and the resulting low prices make them a consumer favorite.
Recent Trends in the Bottled Water Industry
The growth of the bottled water industry is driven by an increasing demand for nutrient-packed water, which is associated with an increasing concern for health and nourishment mainly among professionals determined to inculcate healthy lifestyle choices in their busy schedules. For this reason, the highest consumption of bottled water is recorded in the Asia Pacific region mainly due to an increasing concern for health, hygiene, and wellness in China, India, and Indonesia. The Asia Pacific region contributed 45.1% to the global revenue of the bottled water industry, followed by the North American region which brought in 23.9% of the revenue.
Europe is also forecasted to be a fast-growing market for bottled water in the future. This growth is linked to an expanding tourism industry within the continent, which will trigger the demand for safe drinking water that is conveniently packaged for traveling. The projected growth rate for the bottled water market in Europe is 5.7% between 2023 and 2030.
A major challenge faced by the bottled water industry is the use of single-use plastic for packaging. According to a United Nations University's Institute for Water, Environment and Health report, plastic bottles make up 25 million tonnes of plastic waste worldwide, and are major contributors to environmental pollution. Bottled water companies are minimizing their environmental impact by introducing recycled PET (rPET) bottles. For example, Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO)'s Kinley has been offering 100% recycled PET bottles since December 2022 in 40 countries including Bangladesh, a major producer of plastic waste and also one of the countries most impacted by global warming.
Most Expensive Bottled Water in the World
The most expensive bottled water is Tributo Modigliani, Acqua di Cristallo, produced by Fernando Altamirano of Paolo Di Verachi Studio. This limited-edition glass bottle is coated with platinum and embellished with 6,000 diamonds. The water in this bottle contains 5mg of 23-karat gold dust and is a premium blend of spring water sourced from Fiji and France, and glacier water sourced from Iceland. By producing this one-of-a-kind luxury bottle worth $4.4 million, Paolo Di Verachi Studio has become the most expensive bottled water brand in the world.
Major Companies in the Bottled Water Industry
Some of the leading bottled water companies include Primo Water Corporation (NYSE:PRMW), PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP), and Keurig Dr Pepper Inc. (NASDAQ:KDP).
On November 5, Primo Water Corporation (NYSE:PRMW) announced its plans to sell its international water and coffee business, including those in the United Kingdom, Israel, and Portugal, by the end of 2024. Primo Water Corporation (NYSE:PRMW) has already sold a large part of its international to Culligan International for $575 million. According to the CEO, this divestment will help the company focus more on its operations within North America. He said:
"Following the completion of the transaction and the divestiture of the remaining international businesses, the simplified pro forma Primo Water will have a greater focus on our pure-play North American water businesses with scale and operational focus and improve financial profile accelerating the achievement of several previously announced 2024 targets...We will be able to drive organic customer growth, digital initiatives, and customer retention activities and our capital investments will be focused on high-impact profit-generating projects."
PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) is a New York-based producer of food and beverages. Its globally recognized bottled water brands include Aquafina, Propel, and Bubly. On October 10, PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) reported its earnings for the fiscal third quarter of 2023. PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) had an EPS of $2.25 and beat estimates by $0.10. The company's revenue for the quarter grew by 6.75% year-on-year and amounted to $23.45 billion, beating market consensus by $45.6 million.
Keurig Dr Pepper (NASDAQ:KDP) is among America's leading producers of premium water, coffee, and carbonated beverages. Wall Street is bullish on Keurig Dr Pepper (NASDAQ:KDP). On November 13, Jefferies analyst Kaumil Gajrawala initiated coverage of Keurig Dr Pepper (NASDAQ:KDP) with a Buy rating and a price target of $39. Over the past 3 months, 9 Wall Street analysts have given Buy recommendations on Keurig Dr Pepper (NASDAQ:KDP) stock, which has an average price forecast of $35.4 and a high price target of $42. As of December 22, Keurig Dr Pepper (NASDAQ:KDP) has returned 5.29% to investors over the past 6 months.
Keurig Dr Pepper (NASDAQ:KDP) was a part of 40 hedge fund portfolios at the end of the third quarter of 2023. The total stakes of these hedge funds amounted to $1.2 billion, up from $884 million in the previous quarter.
For our list of the 20 most expensive bottled water brands in the world, we reviewed the top brands in the market that were listed by Chef's Pencil, Luxe Digital, Truly Experiences, Money Inc, Luxatic, and Finances Online. We then chose 25 brands that were mentioned in at least three out of six sources. Then we ranked the 20 most expensive bottled water brands in increasing order of our calculated per-liter price of their most expensive bottled water, as of December 26.
It is to be noted that while limited edition platinum-coated and/or diamond-studded water bottles by luxury brands are considered to be some of the most expensive ones, we decided only to include bottled waters bought by the average consumer. Therefore, our list contains the most expensive bottled water among the general mass consumer segment.
Moreover, while we tried to source the official retail price for each of the most expensive bottled water from the official company website, some companies did not reveal prices due to regional considerations. For such cases, we have sourced the official price of the bottled water from Amazon.com and Fine Liquids. For the brands that do not retail through either of these websites, we sourced the prices from Truly Experiences and Finances Online.
By the way, Insider Monkey is an investing website that tracks the movements of corporate insiders and hedge funds. By using a consensus approach, we identify the best stock picks of more than 900 hedge funds investing in US stocks. The top 10 consensus stock picks of hedge funds outperformed the S&P 500 Index by more than 140 percentage points over the last 10 years (see the details here). Whether you are a beginner investor or a professional one looking for the best stocks to buy, you can benefit from the wisdom of hedge funds and corporate insiders.
20 Most Expensive Bottled Water Brands In The World
20. Tasmanian Rain
Price of most expensive bottled water (per liter): $6.6
Tasmanian Rain is a luxury water brand that produces sparkling water from rainwater collected in Tasmania, Australia, a region recognized for having the purest air in the world. Tasmanian Rain is a carbon-neutral company and the water bottles it produces are made of recyclable glass.
19. Beverly Hills 90H2O
Price of most expensive bottled water (per liter): $9
Beverly Hills 90H2O sources its water from Californian mountain springs. This bottled water is highly mineralized, rich in electrolytes, and has a mildly alkaline pH. Its bottles offer UV protection and are free of Bisphenol A (BPA), a toxic chemical usually found in plastics.
18. 10 Thousand BC
Price of most expensive bottled water (per liter): $18.6
10 Thousand BC sources its water from Canada's 10,000-year-old Hat Mountain Glacier, which gives this brand its unique name. Its most expensive bottled water, priced at $18.6 per liter, is ultra-purified and has only 4 parts of total dissolved solids (TDS) per million.
17. Iluliaq
Price of most expensive bottled water (per liter): $50
Iluliaq is a luxury water brand which established in Ilulissat, Greenland in 2009 and harvests its water from Sermeq Kujalleq glacier. It produces soft, still water with low minerality. Iluliaq is one of the most expensive bottled water brands in the world because it supplies individually hand-filled fresh bottles to each customer upon order.
16. ROI
Price of most expensive bottled water (per liter): $58
ROI acquires its premium mineral water from an 8,000-year-old spring in Slovenia. This highly mineralized water is naturally packed with magnesium, calcium, and bicarbonates. With each liter of this water retailing for $58, ROI has easily bagged a spot among the most expensive bottled water brands in the world.
15. Uisge Source
Price of most expensive bottled water (per liter): $60
Uisge Source water is acquired from springs in Scotland and is used primarily to complement whiskeys. Its range of products includes highly mineralized, low-mineral, and naturally acidic spring waters.
14. Minus 181
Price of most expensive bottled water (per liter): $67.5
Minus 181 gets its name from its wells which are drilled 181 feet deep in Parchim, Germany. The mineralized water produced by this luxury brand is mildly alkaline with a pH of 7.36 and is sold in glass bottles with premium glass closures.
13. Veen
Price of most expensive bottled water (per liter): $87.8
Veen is a Finnish luxury water brand which was established in 2006. Its water comes from springs and has superior virginity and low minerality. Veen's water is known for its smoothness and is used by famous wineries to complement their wines and whiskies.
12. Berg
Price of most expensive bottled water (per liter): $124
Berg is a Canadian brand which produces iceberg water harvested from the broken glaciers of Greenland. This pure virginal water has a very low mineral content and is sold in glass bottles for $124 per liter.
11. Ô Amazon
Price of most expensive bottled water (per liter): $139
Ô Amazon is a Brazilian water brand which uniquely produces water extracted from the air of the Amazon rainforest. Its most expensive bottled water Vitoria Regia, which is pre-sold for $139 per liter. This water is harvested only on full moon nights and packaged in glass bottles.
10. Orezza
Price of most expensive bottled water (per liter): $155
Orezza is a French luxury water brand, which acquires its water from the springs of Corsica. Its sparkling mineral water is sold in cases of 6 bottles and is priced at $155 per liter.
9. Rokko no Oishii Mizu
Price of most expensive bottled water (per liter): $157
Rokko no Oishii Mizu is a Japanese premium water brand whose name translates to 'delicious Rokko water'. As the name suggests, this company sources its water from Japan's Rokko mountain range and distributes it in PET bottles.
8. APSU
Price of most expensive bottled water (per liter): $177
APSU's glacier water is sourced and shipped directly from Chile's Patagonia region and has very low mineral content. This water is expensive because it has superior virginity and feels light on the palate. APSU water is recommended to be tasted at 4° Celsius.
7. Gaisberg Wasser GmbH
Price of most expensive bottled water (per liter): $188
Gaisberg is an Austrian premium water brand which sources water from a 60-meter-deep spring within the country's Gaisberg Mountain. Its most expensive printed glass bottles, known as Edition Austria, are priced at $188 per liter.
6. Evian
Price of most expensive bottled water (per liter): $499
Evian is a French luxury water brand owned by Danone S.A. and is recognized as one of the healthiest bottled water brands in the world. Its most expensive bottled water is created by Jean-Paul Gaultier and is marketed under the designer's name. This bottle was introduced in 2009 and is embellished with ice crystals.
