Australian alcohol consumption increases during 2021 – wine, beer, spirits and RTDs all up on a year ago

“The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a turnaround in the long-term trend of declining alcohol consumption we have seen consistently over the last 15 years.

“In the year to June 2006 nearly three-quarters of Australian adults, 73.5%, drunk an alcoholic beverage in an average four weeks. This incidence trended down and reached a low point of 65.7% during the nation-wide lockdown of the June quarter 2020.

“However, since reaching that nadir, alcohol consumption has trended consistently higher over the last year and is now around 4% points higher at 69.6% of adults in the September quarter 2021. The increases over the last year have been broad-based with all the leading types of alcohol including wine, beer, spirits and RTDs all trending higher.

“Wine has been the big driver of the increase as Australians stuck at home, and without the usual options for domestic or international travel over the last 18 months, have turned to local activities for comfort and entertainment.

“Now well over 9.2 million Australians (46.4% of adults) drink wine in an average four weeks, up 724,000 (+3.4% points) on a year ago. Wine drinking has increased significantly in popularity for both genders with a majority of 50.6% of women now drinking wine, up 3.2% points on a year ago, and 42% of men drinking wine, an even larger increase of 3.6% points.

“By age, those most likely to be drinking wine are aged 50-79, however the largest increases have been for the age groups with school-aged children. Wine drinking for people aged 25-34 is up 5.9% points on a year ago and is up 5.3% points on a year ago for those aged 35-49.

“The other big winners over the last year have been spirits and RTDs (Ready-to-drink). For the first time over a third of Australian adults, 6,670,000 (33.4%), now drink spirits, an increase of 549,000 (+2.6% points) on a year ago and 2,745,000 (13.7%) now drink RTDs, up 502,000 (+2.4% points).

“There is also good news for beer which is now more widely drunk than it was a year ago with 7,138,000 Australians (35.7% of adults) now drinking beer, an increase of 147,000 (+0.5% points) on a year ago.

“The decline in beer drinking over the last 15 years has been more sustained than any other type of alcohol so it will be important for the industry to learn the lessons provided by the pandemic to ensure the increase in beer consumption over the last year is sustained and not a ‘blip’ on the long-term downward trend.

“Roy Morgan will be keeping a keen eye on the developing trends in the alcohol market during the remainder of 2021 and into next year as Australia continues to open up and enters a period of ‘COVID-normal’. The return of a range of leisure options, including travel, will provide a new challenge for the alcohol market that has enjoyed a wave of growth over the last 18 months.”