UK Sugar Levy Expansion to Have Minimal Impact, Study Says

March 25, 2026, 12:01 AM UTC

The UK’s decision to expand its soft drinks levy will have a minuscule impact on sugar consumption, according to an economic research institute.

Despite bringing an additional 12% of soft drink volume into scope, the soft drinks industry levy reforms are estimated to reduce sugar intake by just 0.3 calories per person per day, according to the study from the Institute for Fiscal Studies published Wednesday.

By contrast, when the soft drinks levy was originally implemented in 2018 on manufacturers and importers of added-sugar soft drinks, it led to an average reduction of 18 calories per person per day, ...

Learn more about Bloomberg Tax or Log In to keep reading:

See Breaking News in Context

From research to software to news, find what you need to stay ahead.

Already a subscriber?

Log in to keep reading or access research tools and resources.