Australian beer drinking at 66-year low

New statistics released this week have put Australia’s beer consumption at a 66-year low and show that beer could soon be overtaken by wine.

And despite a report earlier this month that claimed the country’s heaviest drinkers were consuming more, this week’s figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) show that overall Australians are drinking slightly less alcohol.

ABS’s Louise Gates said: “Beer is now at its lowest point in 66 years. The overall picture is that consumption of alcohol in Australia has fallen for a second year in a row; 2011-12 saw us drink 1.4 million litres less than we did in 2010-11, and 2.7 million litres less than in 2009-10.”

The ABS, which estimates consumption based on the availability of alcoholic drinks, said in terms of pure alcohol, beer was down 2.3% in 2011-2012 on the previous year.

Wine, however, rose 1.9% over the same 12 months and spirits experienced the largest fall, down 4.0%.

The figures showed that over the past 50 years, alcohol consumption in Australia had changed dramatically.

In particular, beer has dropped markedly, from about 75% of the pure alcohol available in 1961-62 to 41% 50 years later.