Monthly retail sales of beer, wine and liquor stores in Canada 2015-2023

Retail sales of beer, wine and liquor stores reached approximately 2.23 billion Canadian dollars in December 2023, a small decrease compared to December in the previous year. Monthly sales peaked in March of 2020 at 2.39 billion dollars.

Canadian liquor laws

Canada has complex liquor laws which have developed since Prohibition in the 1920s. Throughout Canada’s provinces and territories, there are 13 different organizations responsible for regulating the sale and distribution of alcohol. It is mostly the case that there are provincially owned stores who have a monopoly over spirit sales. In some provinces it is possible to buy a limited selection of spirits, wine or beer in privately owned shops or grocery stores.

Alcohol consumption trends in Canada

According to a survey, consumers living in the Canadian province of Quebec drink the most frequently, with 57 percent of respondents stating that they drink alcohol at least once a week. This figure decreases to 28 percent in Atlantic Canada. It appears that political party preference also effects alcohol intake, with those supporting the Liberal party most likely to drink at least once a week.