IndexBox has just published a new report: ‘Asia-Pacific – Soft Drinks – Market Analysis, Forecast, Size, Trends and Insights’. Here is a summary of the report’s key findings.

In 2019, the Asia-Pacific soft drink market increased by 3.7% to $198.2B, rising for the third year in a row after three years of decline. In general, consumption showed a relatively flat trend pattern. The growth pace was the most rapid in 2017 when the market value increased by 7% y-o-y. Over the period under review, the market hit record highs at $209.1B in 2013; however, from 2014 to 2019, consumption failed to regain the momentum.

Consumption by Country

The country with the largest volume of soft drink consumption was China (89M tonnes), accounting for 42% of the total volume. Moreover, soft drink consumption in China exceeded the figures recorded by the second-largest consumer, India (28M tonnes), threefold. The third position in this ranking was occupied by Indonesia (16M tonnes), with a 7.4% share.

From 2013 to 2019, the average annual growth rate of volume in China was relatively modest. In other countries, the average annual rates were as follows: India (+1.2% per year) and Indonesia (-1.7% per year).

In value terms, China ($83.2B) led the market, alone. The second position in the ranking was occupied by India ($26.6B). It was followed by Indonesia.

The countries with the highest levels of soft drink per capita consumption in 2019 were Japan (116 kg per person), Pakistan (62 kg per person) and China (61 kg per person).

From 2013 to 2019, the biggest increases were in Japan, while soft drink per capita consumption for the other leaders experienced a decline in the per capita consumption figures.

Production in Asia-Pacific

After two years of growth, the production of soft drinks decreased by -0.3% to 213M tonnes in 2019. Overall, production saw a relatively flat trend pattern.

The country with the largest volume of soft drink production was China (89M tonnes), comprising approx. 42% of total volume. Moreover, soft drink production in China exceeded the figures recorded by the second-largest producer, India (28M tonnes), threefold. Indonesia (16M tonnes) ranked third in terms of total production with a 7.3% share.

In China, soft drink production remained relatively stable over the period from 2013-2019. In other countries, the average annual rates were as follows: India (+1.1% per year) and Indonesia (-1.7% per year).

Imports in Asia-Pacific

In 2019, the amount of soft drinks imported in Asia-Pacific expanded notably to 2.7M tonnes, increasing by 5.7% compared with the previous year. The total import volume increased at an average annual rate of +4.9% over the period from 2013 to 2019; however, the trend pattern indicated some noticeable fluctuations being recorded throughout the analyzed period. The volume of imports peaked in 2019 and is likely to see gradual growth in the immediate term. In value terms, soft drink imports expanded markedly to $3B (IndexBox estimates) in 2019.

Imports by Country

China (448K tonnes), Singapore (369K tonnes) and Hong Kong SAR (285K tonnes) represented roughly 40% of total imports of soft drinks in 2019. It was distantly followed by Australia (183K tonnes), Viet Nam (180K tonnes), India (178K tonnes) and Myanmar (143K tonnes), together generating a 25% share of total imports. Lao People’s Democratic Republic (104K tonnes), Japan (100K tonnes), Indonesia (98K tonnes), New Zealand (84K tonnes) and Cambodia (77K tonnes) followed a long way behind the leaders.

From 2013 to 2019, the most notable rate of growth in terms of purchases, amongst the leading importing countries, was attained by Lao People’s Democratic Republic (+58.1% per year), while imports for the other leaders experienced more modest paces of growth.

In value terms, China ($635M) constitutes the largest market for imported soft drinks in Asia-Pacific, comprising 21% of total imports. The second position in the ranking was occupied by Hong Kong SAR ($297M), with a 9.8% share of total imports. It was followed by Australia, with a 8.9% share.

Import Prices by Country

The soft drink import price in Asia-Pacific stood at $1,105 per tonne in 2019, surging by 3% against the previous year. Over the last six-year period, it increased at an average annual rate of +2.4%. The most prominent rate of growth was recorded in 2017 when the import price increased by 31% against the previous year. As a result, import price attained the peak level of $1,260 per tonne. From 2018 to 2019, the growth in terms of the import prices remained at a somewhat lower figure.

There were significant differences in the average prices amongst the major importing countries. In 2019, the country with the highest price was Japan ($2,143 per tonne), while Singapore ($683 per tonne) was amongst the lowest.

From 2013 to 2019, the most notable rate of growth in terms of prices was attained by Cambodia, while the other leaders experienced more modest paces of growth.

Source: IndexBox AI Platform