Spirits market in Canada - statistics & facts
Spirits have been enjoying a renaissance in Canada just as they have south of the border in the United States. While beer consumption has been declining, spirits have been gaining a greater following from consumers. Canadian whiskey is a standout in the industry, accounting for a large portion of sales within Canada and the vast majority of spirits exports from the country. The Canadian spirits industry generated a revenue of over ten billion U.S. dollars in 2023.
Despite a continued decline in alcohol consumption in Canada, and an increasing interest in sobriety, Canada's spirits market has continued to fare well.
Industry landscape
While the dollar sales of spirits produced in Canada remained flat until 2020, the sales of imported spirits have been steadily increasing since 2011, with the total sales of spirits reaching nearly seven billion Canadian dollars in fiscal year 2023. Since 2020, Canadian spirits products have grown by over 12 percent but during the same period they were outpaced by imported spirits by almost six percent. There were over 220 distilleries throughout Canada in 2023, with Quebec home to the most. Approximately 251.5 million Canadian dollars of whisky was exported from Canada in 2023, a significant decline of nearly 16 percent compared to the year prior. Whisky imports, declined in similar fashion, 12 percent compared to 2022. This represented only the second, and the most significant decline in over a decade.Liquor consumption
On the whole, about 2.6 standard drinks (17ml of pure alcohol per drink) of spirits were sold per person per week in Canada in 2023. The Northern Territories were significantly ahead of the national average at 6.6 drinks per week. Whisky and vodka each accounted for about a quarter of spirits sales in Canada. One of either segment was the most popular drink in each province and territory except for Newfoundland and Labrador, and Nova Scotia, where rum was preferred, and Quebec where liqueurs were the top choice.Despite a continued decline in alcohol consumption in Canada, and an increasing interest in sobriety, Canada's spirits market has continued to fare well.
