Water has no homeland, but its management does
Bottled mineral water is, on the surface, probably the simplest product in the world. H₂O. A spring. A bottle. But behind that simplicity lie decisions about who controls access to the resource, how it is extracted, whether the company is public or private, whether workers at the bottling plant have effective rights, and whether the country's government can oversee the entire process.
The EIU Democracy Index 2024 gives us an unexpectedly useful tool for analysing the bottled water market: the higher a country's score, the greater the likelihood that water resource management is transparent, regulated and accountable to citizens.
The democratic map of mineral water
Norway leads the EIU index with 9.81. Iceland follows with 9.45. Both share mineral waters of glacial or volcanic origin, exceptional purity, and some of the world's strictest environmental regulation. VOSS comes from Vatnestrøm in south-western Norway, its aquifer protected by layers of rock and sand filtering water for centuries. Icelandic Glacial originates from the Ölfus spring, fed by rain and volcanic snow filtered over decades.
- →Evian, Vittel and Perrier — France (EIU 7.99): Alps and Vosges springs under a public concession system.
- →Gerolsteiner — Germany (EIU 8.58): naturally sparkling water from the volcanic Eifel, mixed-capital management with municipal shareholding.
- →Font Vella and Lanjarón — Spain (EIU 8.13): springs in Catalonia and Granada. Spain passed a new Water Law in 2023 strengthening aquifer protection.
- →San Pellegrino and Acqua Panna — Italy (EIU 7.67): Lombardy and Tuscany origins. Italy exceeds the threshold with a narrower margin.
Spring water vs. mineral water: the difference that matters
Natural mineral water has a constant, certified and stable chemical composition. Spring water also comes from a protected underground source but is not required to maintain the same mineral composition. The compositional stability of mineral water requires more active protection of the spring's environment — protection that ultimately depends on the state's willingness and capacity to oversee the exploitation.
The single-use plastic problem
According to international environmental agencies, 91% of plastic produced globally is not recycled. Norway has a plastic bottle recycling rate above 95% thanks to its deposit return system. Iceland has binding circular economy targets in its legislation. Countries with higher EIU scores consistently show stronger single-use plastic regulation.
The ten brands: score summary
- →VOSS — Norway — EIU 9.81
- →Icelandic Glacial — Iceland — EIU 9.45
- →Gerolsteiner — Germany — EIU 8.58
- →Font Vella — Spain — EIU 8.13
- →Lanjarón — Spain — EIU 8.13
- →Evian — France — EIU 7.99
- →Vittel — France — EIU 7.99
- →Perrier — France — EIU 7.99
- →San Pellegrino — Italy — EIU 7.67
- →Acqua Panna — Italy — EIU 7.67
All brands on this list exceed DemocracyMarket's threshold of 6.0. The difference between a score of 9.81 and one of 7.67 is not a difference between acceptable and unacceptable: it is a difference in the degree of institutional transparency and the robustness of accountability mechanisms.
What to look for when buying bottled water
- →Prefer glass format when possible — it is infinitely recyclable.
- →Check whether the brand has a deposit return system or packaging recovery programme.
- →Read the label: the spring location must be indicated. If not, it is treated tap water, not mineral.
- →Consider tap water when local quality allows: in most of Western Europe, tap water is safe and has a minimal carbon footprint.
