Alcohol consumption in New Zealand

New Zealand: Alcohol consumption was 7.2 Litres per person in 2025. β–Ό Falling

Latest (2025)
7.2 Litres per person
Change on year
down 8.9%
World rank
26th
of 41 countries
All-time high
12.1 Litres per person
in 1978
All-time low
7.2 Litres per person
in 2025
Years of data
58
1960–2025

Alcohol consumption in New Zealand, 1960–2025

02.557.51012.5196019922025

Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Litres per person.

Analysis

In 2025, alcohol consumption in New Zealand stood at 7.2 Litres per person. That is the lowest value across all 58 years on record.

The figure is down 8.9% on the previous year and down 17.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, alcohol consumption in New Zealand peaked at 12.1 Litres per person in 1978 and was at its lowest, 7.2 Litres per person, in 2025.

That places New Zealand 26th out of 41 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 58 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 8.25 Litres per person 7.9 Litres per person 8.6 Litres per person 2
1970s 11.19 Litres per person 9.8 Litres per person 12.1 Litres per person 10
1980s 10.95 Litres per person 10.1 Litres per person 11.8 Litres per person 10
1990s 9.32 Litres per person 8.7 Litres per person 10.3 Litres per person 10
2000s 9.13 Litres per person 8.7 Litres per person 9.5 Litres per person 10
2010s 9.06 Litres per person 8.7 Litres per person 9.6 Litres per person 10
2020s 8.25 Litres per person 7.2 Litres per person 8.8 Litres per person 6

Countries ranked near New Zealand

  1. 23 Russia 7.4 Litres per person compare
  2. 24 Sweden 7.3 Litres per person compare
  3. 24 South Africa 7.3 Litres per person compare
  4. 26 Finland 7.2 Litres per person compare
  5. 28 Greece 6.7 Litres per person compare
  6. 28 Japan 6.7 Litres per person compare
  7. 28 Thailand 6.7 Litres per person compare

See the full ranking of 51 places β†’

More reference data data for New Zealand

All data for New Zealand β†’

Frequently asked questions

What is alcohol consumption in New Zealand?
Alcohol consumption in New Zealand was 7.2 Litres per person in 2025, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
What is the highest alcohol consumption recorded in New Zealand?
The highest recorded value was 12.1 Litres per person in 1978.
What is the lowest alcohol consumption recorded in New Zealand?
The lowest recorded value was 7.2 Litres per person in 2025.
How does New Zealand rank for alcohol consumption?
New Zealand ranks 26th out of 41 countries with data for 2025.
Is alcohol consumption rising or falling in New Zealand?
Over the last ten years it is down 17.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this New Zealand 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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Alcohol consumption in New Zealand. Statizoid, drawing on Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Retrieved 20 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/alcohol-consumption/new-zealand/

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About this data

Indicator
Alcohol consumption
Unit
Litres per person
Source
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Licence
OECD Terms and Conditions (attribution required)
Coverage
51 places, 3,029 data points, 1960–2025
Last refreshed

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.