Socioeconomic Factors and Gaps in Bottled Water Consumption between Northern and Southern Italy

The increase in bottled water consumption in Europe, despite the high quality of tap water, raises important issues about consumer behavior and their choices regarding water use. Particularly, Italy stands out for one of the highest per capita bottled water consumption rates in Europe. This phenomenon claims for a more comprehensive analysis, especially in less developed regions, and significant efforts in infrastructure modernization, including those provided by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP). This study aims to examine bottled water consumption patterns at the national level and analyze regional differences, considering variations in infrastructure levels. This descriptive framework allows us to identify potential regional disparities in drinking water supply, which could differently influence bottled water consumption across different areas. Then, using data from the Italian Multipurpose Household Survey by ISTAT from 2014 to 2020, we explore the impact of economic and socio-demographic factors on bottled water consumption, to identify geographical specificities and the main factors shaping consumer preferences. Findings indicate that the local economic context has a differentiated impact on bottled water consumption, which responds differently on a territorial basis to factors such as service levels, trust in institutions, perceived qualitative characteristics of water resources, and economic conditions of households.