Alcohol consumption in Australia
Australia: Alcohol consumption was 9.8 Litres per person in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
9.8 Litres per person
Change on year
down 6.7%
World rank
10th
of 41 countries
All-time high
13.1 Litres per person
in 1974
All-time low
9.3 Litres per person
in 1960
Years of data
64
1960–2023
Alcohol consumption in Australia, 1960–2023
Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Litres per person.
Analysis
In 2023, alcohol consumption in Australia stood at 9.8 Litres per person.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 6.7% on the previous year and down 1.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, alcohol consumption in Australia peaked at 13.1 Litres per person in 1974 and was at its lowest, 9.3 Litres per person, in 1960.
Australia ranks 10th of 41 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 64 years of available data.
Alcohol consumption in Australia, year by year
| Year | Litres per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 9.3 Litres per person | — |
| 1961 | 9.4 Litres per person | +1.1% |
| 1962 | 9.5 Litres per person | +1.1% |
| 1963 | 9.8 Litres per person | +3.2% |
| 1964 | 10.1 Litres per person | +3.1% |
| 1965 | 10 Litres per person | -1.0% |
| 1966 | 10.3 Litres per person | +3.0% |
| 1967 | 10.8 Litres per person | +4.9% |
| 1968 | 11.1 Litres per person | +2.8% |
| 1969 | 11.6 Litres per person | +4.5% |
| 1970 | 11.6 Litres per person | +0.0% |
| 1971 | 11.6 Litres per person | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 12.2 Litres per person | +5.2% |
| 1973 | 12.9 Litres per person | +5.7% |
| 1974 | 13.1 Litres per person | +1.6% |
| 1975 | 12.9 Litres per person | -1.5% |
| 1976 | 13.1 Litres per person | +1.6% |
| 1977 | 13 Litres per person | -0.8% |
| 1978 | 12.7 Litres per person | -2.3% |
| 1979 | 12.7 Litres per person | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 12.7 Litres per person | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 12.8 Litres per person | +0.8% |
| 1982 | 12.4 Litres per person | -3.1% |
| 1983 | 12.2 Litres per person | -1.6% |
| 1984 | 11.7 Litres per person | -4.1% |
| 1985 | 11.8 Litres per person | +0.9% |
| 1986 | 11.3 Litres per person | -4.2% |
| 1987 | 11.4 Litres per person | +0.9% |
| 1988 | 11.3 Litres per person | -0.9% |
| 1989 | 11 Litres per person | -2.7% |
| 1990 | 10.6 Litres per person | -3.6% |
| 1991 | 10.1 Litres per person | -4.7% |
| 1992 | 9.9 Litres per person | -2.0% |
| 1993 | 10.2 Litres per person | +3.0% |
| 1994 | 10 Litres per person | -2.0% |
| 1995 | 9.8 Litres per person | -2.0% |
| 1996 | 10 Litres per person | +2.0% |
| 1997 | 10.2 Litres per person | +2.0% |
| 1998 | 10 Litres per person | -2.0% |
| 1999 | 10 Litres per person | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 10.2 Litres per person | +2.0% |
| 2001 | 10 Litres per person | -2.0% |
| 2002 | 10.4 Litres per person | +4.0% |
| 2003 | 10.3 Litres per person | -1.0% |
| 2004 | 10.5 Litres per person | +1.9% |
| 2005 | 10.5 Litres per person | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 10.8 Litres per person | +2.9% |
| 2007 | 10.8 Litres per person | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 10.8 Litres per person | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 10.7 Litres per person | -0.9% |
| 2010 | 10.4 Litres per person | -2.8% |
| 2011 | 10.1 Litres per person | -2.9% |
| 2012 | 10 Litres per person | -1.0% |
| 2013 | 9.9 Litres per person | -1.0% |
| 2014 | 9.8 Litres per person | -1.0% |
| 2015 | 10.1 Litres per person | +3.1% |
| 2016 | 10.1 Litres per person | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 10.2 Litres per person | +1.0% |
| 2018 | 10.3 Litres per person | +1.0% |
| 2019 | 10.3 Litres per person | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 10.9 Litres per person | +5.8% |
| 2021 | 10.8 Litres per person | -0.9% |
| 2022 | 10.5 Litres per person | -2.8% |
| 2023 | 9.8 Litres per person | -6.7% |
Australia compared with similar countries
- Australia's 9.8 Litres per person is above the median for high income countries, which is 8.45 Litres per person, 1.2× the median. (30 countries reporting)
- Australia's 9.8 Litres per person is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 6.7 Litres per person, 1.5× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 10.19 Litres per person | 9.3 Litres per person | 11.6 Litres per person | 10 |
| 1970s | 12.58 Litres per person | 11.6 Litres per person | 13.1 Litres per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 11.86 Litres per person | 11 Litres per person | 12.8 Litres per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 10.08 Litres per person | 9.8 Litres per person | 10.6 Litres per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 10.5 Litres per person | 10 Litres per person | 10.8 Litres per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 10.12 Litres per person | 9.8 Litres per person | 10.4 Litres per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 10.5 Litres per person | 9.8 Litres per person | 10.9 Litres per person | 4 |
Countries ranked near Australia
More reference data data for Australia
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.21 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 28.02 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 38.41 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 2.55 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 38.41 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 4.07 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 6.14 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 118.71 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 170.29 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 13.9 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is alcohol consumption in Australia?
- Alcohol consumption in Australia was 9.8 Litres per person in 2023, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
- What is the highest alcohol consumption recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 13.1 Litres per person in 1974.
- What is the lowest alcohol consumption recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.3 Litres per person in 1960.
- How does Australia rank for alcohol consumption?
- Australia ranks 10th out of 41 countries with data for 2023.
- Is alcohol consumption rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Australia data come from?
- The figures come from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, published as part of Alcohol consumption. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Unhealthy lifestyles and poor environments cause millions of people to die prematurely. Smoking, harmful alcohol use, physical inactivity and obesity are the root cause of many chronic conditions. This dataset presents the latest data for alcohol consumption. Please refer to the Sources and Methods for detailed country-specific information.