While this might sound like an April fool’s headline, according to leading research institute Roy Morgan, Aussies are steadily consuming less alcohol each year.
In 2014, 70.1 per cent of Aussies over 18 years consumed at least one type of alcohol in an average four week period. Roy Morgans ‘Alcohol Consumption Currency Report‘, March 2019 study shows that number has dropped to 67.5 per cent.
Researchers conducted face to face interviews with over 50,000 consumers regarding their alcohol consumption habits.
The report also found that wine was the most popular alcohol drink consumed, just after beer. Wine is consumed by 42.8 per cent of the Australian adult population, whilst beer is right behind at 38.2 per cent and spirits on 26.3 per cent.
Since 2014, every alcoholic category (except for cider) has seen a decline in the percentage of drinkers.
When it comes to share of volume – beer is the clear winner with beer drinkers drinking more standards glasses a week than any other type of alcohol. The study showed that beer accounts for 45 per cent of all alcoholic beverages consumed.
When it comes to gender break downs, perhaps unsurprisingly, women prefer wine by a significant margin whereas the average man’s pick is beer. 48.2 per cent of all alcohol consumed by women is wine, 58.4 per cent beer for men.
Roy Morgan CEO, Michele Levine commented: “Alcohol has often been considered to have a central role in the social life of many Australians however the latest research from Roy Morgan shows that a declining proportion of Australians are now drinking alcohol.
“Now just over two-thirds of Australians (67.5 per cent) drink alcohol in an average four weeks, down 2.6 per cent points from five years ago (70.1 per cent).
“In large part, the success of Australia’s alcohol retailers and brands rides on the drinking habits of Australian men who drink around two thirds (66.6 per cent) of all alcohol drunk in Australia while women drink the remaining 33.4 per cent.”
