Alcohol consumption behaviors of drinkers in Australia 2019, by age group

In a 2019 survey on alcohol consumption behaviors in Australia, 76 percent of respondents aged 18 to 24 years who were drinkers said they drink to get drunk. This response rate supports concerns that younger drinkers tend to engage in riskier drinking practices, however less than half of Australian adults indicated that they drank more regularly than once a week.

Increasing interest in premium and craft liquor

Although data suggests that Australians are drinking less often, this is not reflected in the overall value of the alcoholic drinks sector in the country. Instead, the market is evolving and more Australians are choosing quality over quantity. In the wine segment, it is the younger age groups who are driving the demand for premium wines, whereas the older generations seem to prefer quaffable wines. Craft beer and spirits have also been responsible for increasing the price range on alcoholic beverages with Australia boasting almost 300 independent breweries in 2020.

Beer is the drink of choice by volume

Beer represents almost half of all alcohol drunk in Australia by volume, followed by wine. Despite the growing interest in independent breweries and craft beer, the beer market is still dominated by Carlton United Breweries (CUB), a subsidiary of Asahi Breweries, and Kirin Group. These international brewery groups are responsible for the manufacture of most of the leading beer brands sold in Australia like Victoria Bitter, Toohey’s, and the iconic Foster’s. Out of the top ten Australian beer brands, the South Australian brewery, Coopers, is the only brand that remains under full Australian ownership.