Statistics Netherlands compiles soft drink sales and price data for tax review
The Ministry of Finance has asked Statistics Netherlands (CBS) for sales and price figures on non-alcoholic drinks for 2021 to 2025, ahead of a 2026 review of the tax on them.
The Ministry of Finance asked CBS to produce figures on sales volumes and prices of non-alcoholic drinks for 2021 to 2025, to show the relevant trends. The ministry paid for the research. The figures will feed into the review of the consumption tax (verbruiksbelasting) on these drinks, due in 2026.
The tax covers lemonade, fruit and vegetable juices and certain plant-based drinks, among others. On 1 January 2024 the tax on non-alcoholic drinks was raised, while the tax on unsweetened, unflavoured mineral water was abolished.
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verbruiksbelasting
A consumption tax is a tax, also called an excise duty, that is levied on specific goods when they are sold or used, rather than on income or general spending. In the Netherlands, verbruiksbelasting is a government levy set by law on a defined category of products, and the rate and scope are fixed in legislation. It matters because it changes the price of those products and is a tool the government uses to raise revenue or influence consumer behaviour.