Alcohol consumption in New Zealand
New Zealand: Alcohol consumption was 7.2 Litres per person in 2025. ▼ 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
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.
Alcohol consumption in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | Litres per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 7.9 Litres per person | — |
| 1965 | 8.6 Litres per person | +8.9% |
| 1970 | 9.8 Litres per person | +14.0% |
| 1971 | 10.4 Litres per person | +6.1% |
| 1972 | 10.6 Litres per person | +1.9% |
| 1973 | 11.3 Litres per person | +6.6% |
| 1974 | 11.5 Litres per person | +1.8% |
| 1975 | 11.5 Litres per person | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 11.6 Litres per person | +0.9% |
| 1977 | 11.5 Litres per person | -0.9% |
| 1978 | 12.1 Litres per person | +5.2% |
| 1979 | 11.6 Litres per person | -4.1% |
| 1980 | 11.8 Litres per person | +1.7% |
| 1981 | 11.7 Litres per person | -0.8% |
| 1982 | 11.7 Litres per person | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 10.6 Litres per person | -9.4% |
| 1984 | 11 Litres per person | +3.8% |
| 1985 | 10.8 Litres per person | -1.8% |
| 1986 | 11.3 Litres per person | +4.6% |
| 1987 | 10.3 Litres per person | -8.8% |
| 1988 | 10.1 Litres per person | -1.9% |
| 1989 | 10.2 Litres per person | +1.0% |
| 1990 | 10.3 Litres per person | +1.0% |
| 1991 | 9.9 Litres per person | -3.9% |
| 1992 | 9.8 Litres per person | -1.0% |
| 1993 | 9.3 Litres per person | -5.1% |
| 1994 | 9.5 Litres per person | +2.2% |
| 1995 | 9.3 Litres per person | -2.1% |
| 1996 | 8.8 Litres per person | -5.4% |
| 1997 | 8.7 Litres per person | -1.1% |
| 1998 | 8.7 Litres per person | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 8.9 Litres per person | +2.3% |
| 2000 | 8.9 Litres per person | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 8.7 Litres per person | -2.2% |
| 2002 | 9.1 Litres per person | +4.6% |
| 2003 | 8.9 Litres per person | -2.2% |
| 2004 | 9.1 Litres per person | +2.2% |
| 2005 | 9.3 Litres per person | +2.2% |
| 2006 | 9.3 Litres per person | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 9.2 Litres per person | -1.1% |
| 2008 | 9.5 Litres per person | +3.3% |
| 2009 | 9.3 Litres per person | -2.1% |
| 2010 | 9.6 Litres per person | +3.2% |
| 2011 | 9.5 Litres per person | -1.0% |
| 2012 | 9.2 Litres per person | -3.2% |
| 2013 | 9.2 Litres per person | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 9.1 Litres per person | -1.1% |
| 2015 | 8.7 Litres per person | -4.4% |
| 2016 | 8.9 Litres per person | +2.3% |
| 2017 | 8.8 Litres per person | -1.1% |
| 2018 | 8.8 Litres per person | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 8.8 Litres per person | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 8.7 Litres per person | -1.1% |
| 2021 | 8.8 Litres per person | +1.1% |
| 2022 | 8.7 Litres per person | -1.1% |
| 2023 | 8.2 Litres per person | -5.7% |
| 2024 | 7.9 Litres per person | -3.7% |
| 2025 | 7.2 Litres per person | -8.9% |
New Zealand compared with similar countries
- New Zealand's 7.2 Litres per person is below the median for high income countries, which is 8.45 Litres per person, 85% of the median. (30 countries reporting)
- New Zealand's 7.2 Litres per person is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 6.7 Litres per person, 1.1× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | 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
More reference data data for New Zealand
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.4532 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 9.92 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 10.93 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0459 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 10.93 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.52 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 1.53 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 42.17 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 47.53 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.2499 (2050)
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.
Download this data
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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.