Alcohol abuse in Canada - statistics and facts

Alcohol abuse, defined as the excessive and harmful consumption of alcoholic beverages, is a pervasive issue in Canada. Approximately 75 percent of Canadians aged 15 years and above consume alcohol. In 2022, per capita alcohol beverage consumption in Canada stood at 97.5 liters. Alcohol consumption is a leading risk factor for the worldwide disease burden, it contributes to numerous health problems, social issues, and economic burdens. In 2020, the estimated overall financial cost of substance use in Canada was 49.1 billion Canadian dollars, alcohol alone accounted for nearly 40 percent of the economic costs. Alcohol consumption is most concerning in young people because they are at a higher risk for alcohol-related harm.

Alcohol-related harm and behavior

Almost 6.5 million Canadians had engaged in heavy drinking, adults aged between 18 to 34 years were more likely to report heavy drinking compared to other age groups in 2022. Excessive drinking can cause alcohol use disorder (AUD). Like other substance use disorders, AUD is a mental health problem. Between 2022 and 2023, the average hospitalization rate in Canada solely attributable to alcohol was 262 per 100,000 people, the rate was significantly higher in men compared to women. In 2020, alcohol-related premature deaths led to a loss of nearly 104 thousand years of productive life in Canada. To promote low-risk alcohol consumption and reduce the risk of alcohol-related harms, the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) published an update to Canada's Low-Risk Alcohol Drinking Guidelines in 2023.

Impaired driving

As per the latest CCSA guidelines, the standard drink in Canada contains 17.05 milliliters or 13.45 grams of pure alcohol. Furthermore, to prevent moderate and high health risks, it recommends drinking no more than two drinks a week. There is well-documented research evidence on the detrimental effects of alcohol use on health. Even low levels of alcohol consumption can lead to impairment in cognitive brain functions and muscle coordination. Since alcohol use can impair critical thinking and reasoning abilities needed for safely driving any vehicle, drinking and driving is considered a serious crime in most countries as it endangers public safety. In 2021, alcohol-related impaired driving accounted for around 26 percent of all road accident fatalities in Canada. In the same year, around 47 thousand alcohol-related federal impaired driving charges were filed in Canada. A charitable organization known as Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD Canada), reported that among Canadians aged between 16 and 25 years, motor vehicle crashes were the leading cause of death, and over half of the fatal crashes involved alcohol and/or drugs.
This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.
Published by Preeti Vankar, Jun 26, 2024

Key insights

Alcoholic beverage typically consumed by Canadians
Wine
Province with the highest share of heavy drinkers
Newfoundland and Labrador
Share of Canadians who strongly agree with labeling alcoholic beverages with risk information
24%
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Editor’s Picks Current statistics on this topic

Number of hospitalizations attributable to alcohol in Canada in 2023, by province (per 100,000 population)

State of Health

Rate of hospitalizations attributable to alcohol in Canada 2023, by province

Number of Canadians considered heavy alcohol drinkers from 2013 to 2022

State of Health

Number of Canadians who were heavy alcohol drinkers 2013-2022

Total healthcare cost of substance use in Canada in 2020, by substance type (in million Canadian dollars)

Health Economics

Healthcare burden of substance use in Canada in 2020, by substance type

Related topics

Alcohol use

2

Alcohol consumption

3

Alcohol industry

3

Recommended statistics

Overview

4

Overview

Heavy drinkers

5

Heavy drinkers

Awarness of alcohol-related risks

4

Awarness of alcohol-related risks

Impaired driving

4

Impaired driving

Hospitalization

5

Hospitalization

Deaths

4

Deaths

Economic burden

5

Economic burden

Further reportsGet the best reports to understand your industry

Alcohol and health
Alcohol and health
Alcohol consumption in the United Kingdom
Alcohol consumption in the United Kingdom
Alcohol consumption in Ireland
Alcohol consumption in Ireland
Alcohol consumption in Canada
Alcohol consumption in Canada
Alcohol consumption and health in Italy
Alcohol consumption and health in Italy

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