Alcohol spending as a share of total household spending in Australia

Australia: Alcohol spending as a share of total household spending was 2.3 in 2015. ▼ Falling

Latest (2015)
2.3
World rank
9th
of 36 countries
All-time high
4.1
in 1991
All-time low
2.3
in 2015
Years of data
7
1991–2015

Alcohol spending as a share of total household spending in Australia, 1991–2015

012341991200320151991: 4.11993: 2.91994: 2.91999: 2.92004: 2.62010: 2.62015: 2.3

Source: World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.

Analysis

Australia recorded 2.3 for alcohol spending as a share of total household spending in 2015. That is the lowest value across all 7 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 11.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, alcohol spending as a share of total household spending in Australia peaked at 4.1 in 1991 and was at its lowest, 2.3, in 2015.

That places Australia 9th out of 36 countries with data for 2015, putting it in the top quarter.

Alcohol spending as a share of total household spending in Australia, year by year

Annual values for Alcohol spending as a share of total household spending in Australia, 1991 to 2015.
Year Value Change
1991 4.1 —
1993 2.9 -29.3%
1994 2.9 +0.0%
1999 2.9 +0.0%
2004 2.6 -10.3%
2010 2.6 +0.0%
2015 2.3 -11.5%

Australia compared with similar countries

  • Australia's 2.3 is above the median for high income countries, which is 1.6, 1.4× the median. (23 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 3.2 2.9 4.1 4
2000s 2.6 2.6 2.6 1
2010s 2.45 2.3 2.6 2

Countries ranked near Australia

  1. 6 Belarus 2.5 compare
  2. 6 Kazakhstan 2.5 compare
  3. 8 Lithuania 2.4 compare
  4. 10 Norway 2.2 compare
  5. 11 Estonia 2.1 compare
  6. 12 Kyrgyzstan 1.9 compare
  7. 12 Mexico 1.9 compare
  8. 12 Moldova 1.9 compare
  9. 12 Sweden 1.9 compare

See the full ranking of 36 places →

More reference data data for Australia

All data for Australia →

Frequently asked questions

What is alcohol spending as a share of total household spending in Australia?
Alcohol spending as a share of total household spending in Australia was 2.3 in 2015, according to World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest alcohol spending as a share of total household spending recorded in Australia?
The highest recorded value was 4.1 in 1991.
What is the lowest alcohol spending as a share of total household spending recorded in Australia?
The lowest recorded value was 2.3 in 2015.
How does Australia rank for alcohol spending as a share of total household spending?
Australia ranks 9th out of 36 countries with data for 2015.
Is alcohol spending as a share of total household spending rising or falling in Australia?
Over the last ten years it is down 11.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Australia data come from?
The figures come from World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Alcohol spending as a share of total household spending. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Alcohol spending as a share of total household spending in Australia. Statizoid, drawing on World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 25 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/alcohol-expenditure-as-share-of-total/australia/

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About this data

Indicator
Alcohol spending as a share of total household spending
Source
World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
36 places, 471 data points, 1990–2017
Last refreshed

Spending on alcohol measured as a share of total household expenditure.