22nd September 2026 Southport

Manchester Tops UK Hydration Search Rankings as Interest Varies Nearly 12-Fold Across Cities

By Bob Hammond

KEY FINDINGS

  • Manchester leads the UK’s 50 largest cities with a Hydration Interest Score of 140.37 per 100,000 residents, nearly 12 times higher than the lowest-scoring city, Bromley, at 11.85.
  • Just 540 monthly searches for ‘how to stay hydrated’ were recorded across all 50 cities combined, accounting for 2.7% of total search activity.
  • All seven London boroughs included in the study sit in the bottom half of the ranking, from Harrow at 30th to Bromley in 50th and last place.

Dehydration places a significant and avoidable burden on health services across the UK, and heat-related health alerts are becoming increasingly frequent. As the UK moves through the height of summer, a new analysis of Google search behaviour across the country’s 50 largest cities reveals just how uneven public awareness of hydration really is.

Kollo Health analysed and collected average monthly search volumes for seven hydration-related terms via Google Keyword Planner across the UK’s 50 largest cities. Population estimates were sourced from World Population Review (2026 projections), and a per capita Hydration Interest Score was calculated by dividing each city’s total searches by its population and multiplying by 100,000.

The 10 UK Cities With the Highest Hydration Interest Per Capita

Rank City Avg Monthly Searches Population (2026) Hydration Interest Score (per 100K)
1 Manchester 850 605,521 140.37
2 Newcastle upon Tyne 460 328,349 140.09
3 Glasgow 880 663,221 132.69
4 Bristol 640 504,401 126.88
5 Plymouth 340 274,104 124.04
6 Birmingham 1,430 1,199,447 119.22
7 Warrington 230 216,705 106.14
8 Kingston upon Hull 270 278,303 97.02
9 Edinburgh 500 540,101 92.58
10 Liverpool 460 518,060 88.79

 

Manchester leads the ranking with a Hydration Interest Score of 140.37 per 100,000 residents, narrowly ahead of Newcastle upon Tyne (140.09), with Glasgow third (132.69). Smaller cities such as Plymouth (population 274,104) and Warrington (population 216,705) outperform far larger urban centres on a per capita basis, suggesting that city size alone does not determine hydration awareness. Kingston upon Hull, ranking 8th with a score of 97.02, outperforms cities including Leeds, Sheffield and Cardiff.

Commenting on the findings, Scarlett Gray, Registered Dietitian at Kollo Health, said:

“The gap between the most and least hydration-conscious cities in the UK is striking. While search behaviour cannot measure hydration knowledge directly, the findings suggest there may be opportunities to strengthen public engagement with hydration advice, particularly during periods of hot weather when dehydration risks increase.”

The 10 UK Cities With the Lowest Hydration Search Interest Per Capita

Rank City Avg Monthly Searches Population (2026) Hydration Interest Score (per 100K)
41 Croydon 130 415,854 31.26
42 Doncaster 100 323,304 30.93
43 Nottingham 100 335,171 29.84
44 Wakefield 110 375,620 29.28
45 Wigan 90 350,509 25.68
46 Barnsley 60 254,879 23.54
47 Rotherham 60 279,932 21.43
48 Bexley 50 259,894 19.24
49 Barnet 70 411,361 17.02
50 Bromley 40 337,506 11.85

 

Outer London boroughs and northern industrial towns dominate the bottom of the table. Bromley, in last place with a score of 11.85, sits nearly 12 times below first-placed Manchester (140.37). Barnet (17.02), Bexley (19.24) and Rotherham (21.43) all score below 22 per 100,000 residents, placing them among the cities where residents appear least likely to actively search for hydration guidance or products.

All Seven London Boroughs Rank in the Bottom Half

Rank City Avg Monthly Searches Population (2026) Hydration Interest Score (per 100K)
30 Harrow 130 274,274 47.40
31 Sutton 100 217,602 45.96
34 Hounslow 130 305,116 42.61
41 Croydon 130 415,854 31.26
48 Bexley 50 259,894 19.24
49 Barnet 70 411,361 17.02
50 Bromley 40 337,506 11.85

 

Every London borough included in the study ranks in the bottom half of the 50 cities analysed, from Harrow at 30th to Bromley in last place. London itself ranks 13th with a score of 83.69 per 100,000 residents, based on 7,690 average monthly searches across a population of 9,188,200.

Only 540 Monthly Searches for ‘How to Stay Hydrated’ Across 50 UK Cities

Rank Search Term Total Monthly Searches (All 50 Cities) Share of All Hydration Searches
1 Electrolyte drink 12,950 64.5%
2 Hydration tablets 2,400 12.0%
3 Rehydration sachets 2,350 11.7%
4 How to hydrate fast 800 4.0%
5 How to drink more water 580 2.9%
6 How to stay hydrated 540 2.7%
7 Best way to stay hydrated 450 2.2%

 

Product-oriented searches dominate the data. ‘Electrolyte drink’, ‘hydration tablets’ and ‘rehydration sachets’ together account for 88.2% of all hydration-related search activity across the 50 cities, with ‘electrolyte drink’ alone representing 64.5%. The four informational queries combined account for 11.8%, and ‘how to stay hydrated’ represents just 2.7% of total volume. This suggests UK residents are far more likely to search for specific products than for fundamental hydration guidance.

Methodology

This study measured average monthly search volumes for seven hydration-related terms: ‘best way to stay hydrated’, ‘electrolyte drink’, ‘how to drink more water’, ‘how to hydrate fast’, ‘how to stay hydrated’, ‘hydration tablets’ and ‘rehydration sachets’. Search data was sourced from Google Keyword Planner, with volumes collected for each of the UK’s 50 largest cities by population.

Population figures are 2026 projections published by World Population Review. Each city’s total average monthly search volume across all seven terms was divided by its 2026 population estimate and multiplied by 100,000, yielding a Hydration Interest Score per 100,000 residents. Cities were ranked from highest to lowest score.

London is measured as a single city-level location. Seven London boroughs are also included as separate entries because they fall within the UK’s 50 largest urban areas by population. Searches within those boroughs may also be captured in the London figure, so city-level totals should not be added together to produce a national figure.

Search volumes reflect the terms selected and are not a complete measure of hydration-related search behaviour. The majority of volume comes from product-related queries, so the score reflects both interest in hydration information and demand for hydration products.

Data Sources:

About Kollo Health

Kollo Health is a UK-based wellness brand that creates science-backed nutritional supplements to support everyday health. Best known for its premium marine collagen range, the company also offers clinically formulated products for joint health, hydration, menopause, strength, and overall wellbeing.