Beware of Diabetes: These are the Most Popular Soft Drinks Consumed by Indonesians

High consumption of sweetened beverages among children can have detrimental effects on their health. Most recently, the Indonesian Pediatrician Association (IDAI) reported that the number of children with diabetes mellitus is estimated to reach 1,645 in January 2023. This figure is equivalent to two cases per 100,000 children.

In fact, according to IDAI, the number of children with diabetes in Indonesia increased 70-fold between 2010 and 2023.

Sweetened beverages, or soft drinks, are consumed not only by children but also by adults. Therefore, it is crucial for all segments of society to reduce their consumption of sweetened beverages to protect themselves from various diseases such as diabetes.

According to a Kurious survey from the Katadata Insight Center (KIC), several soft drink brands are most frequently consumed in Indonesia. Teh Pucuk ranks first as the most consumed soft drink brand.

67.5% of respondents admitted to consuming Teh Pucuk most frequently in the past year. Following that, 64.3% and 62% of respondents said they frequently consumed Sprite and Coca-Cola in the past year, respectively.

On the other hand, respondents who frequently consumed Fanta, Teh Botol Sosro, Frestea, Nu, Ichi Ocha, Tebs, Pepsi, Root Beer, and other brands were fewer than the top three brands mentioned above, as shown in the graph.

The survey also showed that the majority of consumers spend an average of Rp30,000 – Rp50,000 per month on soft drinks (36.9%). Some consumers spend over Rp200,000 per month on soft drinks, although this is a small percentage (1.6%).

Kurious-KIC surveyed 725 respondents spread across various regions of Indonesia, with 47.4% male respondents and 52.6% female respondents.

More than half of the respondents were from Java (excluding Jakarta) (63.4%), followed by Jakarta (14.2%), and Sumatra (12.4%). Respondents from Sumatra, Sulawesi, Kalimantan, Bali-Nusa Tenggara, and Maluku-Papua ranged from 0.7% to 4%.

Most respondents were aged between 25-34 years (31.6%), followed by the 35-44 year age group (30.2%) and the 45-54 year age group (22.5%).

The survey was conducted from January 2nd to 13th, 2023, using the computer-assisted web interviewing (CAWI) method, with a margin of error of approximately 3.64% and a 95% confidence level.