Despite facing a challenging environment in recent years, carbonated soft drinks (CSDs) still have a household penetration rate of more than 92 percent, according to Chicago-based Mintel. Although experts report that some consumers have sought alternatives to CSDs, U.S. consumers still are drinking the beverages, including their diet-, low- and mid-calorie counterparts, in amounts as high as 30 billion liters a year, notes Jonas Feliciano, beverage analyst at Euromonitor International. “While it’s harder and harder to attract new consumers, or [re]gain consumers that have left the category, it’s not going to come to the point that no one is drinking soda,” he says. “There’s still a very strong number … of core consumers that enjoy soda and will continue to drink soda.”

Based on data from market research firms including Mintel; Information Resources Inc., Chicago; and Innova Market Insights, the Netherlands, Beverage Industry created an infographic detailing which consumers are buying into the category, where they’re purchasing these beverages, and when and why they’re consuming them.