Spirits defy declining Aussie alcohol consumption

Spirits consumption in Australia has “remained relatively steady” despite consumers in the country drinking less alcohol overall than any time in the past 15 years.

Alcohol consumption in Australia has hit a 15-year low, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS)

Figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) have revealed that across all alcoholic beverages, there were 9.9 litres of pure alcohol available for consumption in 2012-13 for every person in Australia aged 15 years and over.

According to Louise Gates, director of health for the ABS: “This is the lowest level since the mid-1990s.”

The decline was attributed to a downward trend in the consumption of beer, while the wine market, which has been growing steadily over the past few years, has now reached a “plateau”.

However, the ABS revealed that the spirits category has bucked the declining trend and “remained relatively steady.”

The quantity of alcohol available for consumption in the form of spirits increased by 4.1% between 2011-12 and 2012-13, from 23.1 million litres to 24.0 million litres.

Meanwhile, the RTDs segment, which constitutes 43.6% of the entire spirits category in Australia, has “seen a drop over the past five years”.

According to the ABS, the quantity of alcohol available for consumption in the form of RTDs decreased by 2.9% during this period, from 12.5 million litres to 12.1 million litres.

Beer comprised the greatest proportion of all pure alcohol consumed in Australia at 41%, followed by wine (37%), spirits (13%), and ready-to-drink beverages (7%). Cider is estimated to account for a small but growing proportion, at 2%.

Various initiatives have been embarked upon to curtail excessive drinking in the country, In January this year, lawmakers in New South Wales recently introduced a “tough” new law that forbids the sale of alcohol in bars and pubs after 3am in a bid to curb the state’s alcohol-related violence.

For a more comprehensive look at the spirits market in Australia, see the March issue of The Spirits Business.