Stats NZ has released data outlining the consumer preference trend of low-alcohol or no alcohol in New Zealand.
Recent data from Stats NZ has highlighted record low levels of alcohol consumption. The report focussed on alcohol consumption statistics and the volume of non-alcoholic beverages consumed within the New Zealand market.
Additionally, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) reports that Kiwis drink below the OECD average.
“Kiwis are drinking our beer, wine and spirits differently with many choosing higher value beverages and are drinking less,”said NZABC executive director Virginia Nicholls.
According to Stats NZ, the average New Zealand beer, wine and spirits consumption has continued to decline to 465 million litres in the year end June 2024, a fall of 7.2 percent from 2023. This is the largest fall in the past eight years.
The total amount of beer, wine and spirits available for sale is now lower than in 2016 despite the NZ population growing 11 percent to 5.3 million people over the same time period.
Beer has declined in the past year by five percent to 280 million litres, spirits by 14 percent to 90 million litres and wine has declined by 6.4 percent to 95.4 million litres.
According to the Southern Cross Healthy Futures survey, there have been significant changes to consumer preferences among New Zealand drinkers.
“Consumption patterns continued to shift, with more New Zealanders saying that no and low-alcohol was the way to go. A quarter of New Zealanders reduced their alcohol consumption in the last six months to look after their health and wellbeing.”
“We are sipping and savouring our beverages and are consuming different products, including the continued rise in low and no alcohol products”.
A poll of 1,000 New Zealanders in December 2023 found 55 percent (up from 49 percent in 2021) of respondents prefer drinking low-alcohol beverages at least some of the time, and some respondents prefer low-alcohol beverages.
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