Australians are gradually consuming less alcohol compared to five years ago according to new research from Roy Morgan.
The research found that just over two-thirds of Australians (67.5 per cent) drink alcohol in an average four week period,
down 2.6 percentage points from five years ago (70.1 per cent).
“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,”
Michele Levine, chief executive officer, Roy Morgan said.
Wine is the post popular choice among consumers at 42.8 per cent, followed by beer (38.2 per cent) and spirits (26.3 per cent).
“The proportion of Australians drinking other types of alcohol including spirits, RTD, Liqueurs and Fortified Wine has fallen over the last five years but there is a bright spot with 11.4 per cent of Australians now drinking cider in an average four weeks, up 0.3% points on 2014.”
Although wine is more widely drunk, it is beer which dominates the overall volume of alcohol drunk in Australia. Beer comprises a 45 per cent share of the volume of alcohol drunk in Australia compared to 29.1 per cent for wine.
“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.
“Perhaps unsurprisingly it is men who drink the bulk of beer consumed in Australia… In contrast to Australian men the drinking habits of Australian women are dominated by the consumption of wine which comprises a dominant 48.2 per cent,” Levine added.
The latest findings from Roy Morgan’s ‘Alcohol Consumption Currency Report March 2019’ is based on interviews with over 50,000 consumers.
