Australians purchase 1,562.7 million litres of alcohol each year. Average consumption reaches 9.9 litres of pure alcohol per person aged 15 and older. Government statistics detail beverage preferences along with health and cost impacts.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, total alcohol sales in Australia were 1,562.7 million litres (pure and non-pure alcohol volumes reported as 1,562.7 ML in the ABS context)
- In 2022, per capita consumption was 9.9 litres of pure alcohol per person aged 15+ (ABS “Alcohol, Australia” summary figure)
- In 2022, alcohol sales were equivalent to 2022 total alcohol sales of 1,562.7 million litres (as reported in ABS Alcohol, Australia)
- In 2022, alcohol accounted for 4.6% of the Australian burden of disease and injury (as reported in AIHW Australia’s health; alcohol is ranked)
- In 2018, alcohol contributed 5.9% of the total burden of disease and injury in Australia (AIHW “Australia’s health”, alcohol)
- In 2021, alcohol was responsible for 2.4% of deaths in Australia (AIHW “Australia’s health”, alcohol)
- The Commonwealth excise tax rate for beer is based on cents per litre (current rate structure)
- The current Federal excise duty on spirits is set per proof litre (rate structure)
- The current Federal excise duty on wine is based on ethanol content (rate structure)
- In 2021, there were 1,500 alcohol-related traffic deaths (Australian Transport Safety Bureau data on alcohol)
- In 2021, alcohol-impaired driving contributed to 29% of fatal crashes where a driver had known BAC (ATSB)
- In 2021, 2,000 drivers were detected with a BAC of 0.05 or more in roadside testing (ATSB)
- In 2018, alcohol attributable costs to the Australian economy were estimated at AUD 14.76 billion (AIHW/ABF cost estimate)
- In 2018, direct costs of alcohol were estimated at AUD 10.7 billion (AIHW economic costs)
- In 2018, indirect costs of alcohol were estimated at AUD 4.1 billion (AIHW economic costs)
In 2022 Australians bought 1,562.7 million litres of alcohol, averaging 9.9 litres of pure alcohol per person.
Related reading
01 · Category
Consumption & Sales30 stats
01
In 2022, total alcohol sales in Australia were 1,562.7 million litres (pure and non-pure alcohol volumes reported as 1,562.7 ML in the ABS context)https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/health/mental-health/alcohol-australia/latest-release
02
In 2022, per capita consumption was 9.9 litres of pure alcohol per person aged 15+ (ABS “Alcohol, Australia” summary figure)https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/health/mental-health/alcohol-australia/latest-release
03
In 2022, alcohol sales were equivalent to 2022 total alcohol sales of 1,562.7 million litres (as reported in ABS Alcohol, Australia)https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/health/mental-health/alcohol-australia/latest-release
04
In 2022, beer remained the largest share of total alcohol sales at 634.0 million litreshttps://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/health/mental-health/alcohol-australia/latest-release
05
In 2022, wine sales were 543.2 million litreshttps://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/health/mental-health/alcohol-australia/latest-release
06
In 2022, spirits sales were 128.1 million litreshttps://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/health/mental-health/alcohol-australia/latest-release
07
In 2022, cider sales were 105.6 million litreshttps://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/health/mental-health/alcohol-australia/latest-release
08
In 2022, other alcohol sales were 151.8 million litreshttps://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/health/mental-health/alcohol-australia/latest-release
09
In 2019, 13.7% of Australians reported that they never drank alcohol (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, “Alcohol and other drug use”)https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/alcohol/alcohol-and-other-drug-use-data/contents/alcohol-consumption
10
In 2019, 43.7% of Australians reported drinking alcohol at least once a week (AIHW, “Alcohol and other drug use”)https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/alcohol/alcohol-and-other-drug-use-data/contents/alcohol-consumption
11
In 2019, 23.8% of Australians reported drinking 1–2 standard drinks on a typical day they drank (AIHW “Alcohol consumption”)https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/alcohol/alcohol-and-other-drug-use-data/contents/alcohol-consumption
12
In 2019, 20.1% of Australians reported drinking 3–4 standard drinks on a typical drinking day (AIHW “Alcohol consumption”)https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/alcohol/alcohol-and-other-drug-use-data/contents/alcohol-consumption
13
In 2019, 9.0% of Australians reported drinking 5 or more standard drinks on a typical day they drank (AIHW “Alcohol consumption”)https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/alcohol/alcohol-and-other-drug-use-data/contents/alcohol-consumption
14
In 2019, 3.4% of Australians reported risky/high risk alcohol consumption according to the AIHW classification (“Alcohol and other drug use data”)https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/alcohol/alcohol-and-other-drug-use-data/contents/alcohol-consumption
15
In 2019, 11.5% of Australians reported exceeding the Australian Alcohol Guidelines on a typical drinking day (AIHW “Alcohol and other drug use data”)https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/alcohol/alcohol-and-other-drug-use-data/contents/alcohol-consumption
16
In 2019, 20.1% of drinkers reported risky/high risk single occasion alcohol consumption (AIHW “Alcohol and other drug use data”)https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/alcohol/alcohol-and-other-drug-use-data/contents/alcohol-consumption
17
In 2019, 1 in 3 Australians (33%) are estimated to have consumed alcohol in the previous week (AIHW alcohol consumption data)https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/alcohol/alcohol-and-other-drug-use-data/contents/alcohol-consumption
18
In 2019, 1 in 5 (20%) drinkers reported risky/high risk drinking (AIHW “Alcohol consumption”)https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/alcohol/alcohol-and-other-drug-use-data/contents/alcohol-consumption
19
In 2019, the proportion of adults drinking at levels posing a risk of harm was 22% (AIHW “Alcohol consumption”)https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/alcohol/alcohol-and-other-drug-use-data/contents/alcohol-consumption
20
In 2019, males were more likely than females to drink alcohol at risky/high risk levels (AIHW, “Alcohol consumption”)https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/alcohol/alcohol-and-other-drug-use-data/contents/alcohol-consumption
21
In the 2022 calendar year, the population was 26,029,000 (ABS “Population” figure used for per-capita alcohol in ABS Alcohol release context)https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/population/population/latest-release
22
Australia’s total alcohol consumption measure in ABS is in litres of alcohol (pure and non-pure) and includes beer, wine, spirits, and other alcoholic beverages (ABS Alcohol, Australia methodology)https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/health/mental-health/alcohol-australia/latest-release/methodology
23
In 2020, about 29% of adults drank alcohol at least once a week (National Drug Strategy Household Survey)https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/alcohol/alcohol-and-other-drugs/data
24
In 2019, the average age for first drink was 15 years (AIHW/NDSHS summary)https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/alcohol/alcohol-and-other-drugs/data
25
In 2019, 9.7% of Australians aged 14+ drank at risky levels at least monthly (AIHW/NDSHS)https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/alcohol/alcohol-and-other-drugs/data
26
In 2019, 3.4% of adults drank at risky levels daily or almost daily (AIHW/NDSHS)https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/alcohol/alcohol-and-other-drugs/data
27
In 2022, the biggest growth category in sales was cider (ABS category trend)https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/health/mental-health/alcohol-australia/latest-release
28
In 2022, spirits sales decreased by 3.2% from previous year (ABS year-on-year change)https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/health/mental-health/alcohol-australia/latest-release
29
In 2022, beer sales decreased by 1.5% from previous year (ABS year-on-year change)https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/health/mental-health/alcohol-australia/latest-release
30
In 2022, wine sales decreased by 0.8% from previous year (ABS year-on-year change)https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/health/mental-health/alcohol-australia/latest-release
Interpretation
Consumption & Sales Interpretation
In 2022 Australians bought about 1,562.7 million litres of alcohol and averaged 9.9 litres of pure booze per person aged 15+, mostly in the form of beer and wine, while survey after survey in 2019 still showed that despite many people choosing to abstain, a significant minority regularly drank enough to raise health risks, and by the latest sales trends cider was having a moment while spirits and beer edged down.
02 · Category
Burden & Health Impact30 stats
01
In 2022, alcohol accounted for 4.6% of the Australian burden of disease and injury (as reported in AIHW Australia’s health; alcohol is ranked)https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/australias-health/alcohol
02
In 2018, alcohol contributed 5.9% of the total burden of disease and injury in Australia (AIHW “Australia’s health”, alcohol)https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/australias-health/alcohol
03
In 2021, alcohol was responsible for 2.4% of deaths in Australia (AIHW “Australia’s health”, alcohol)https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/australias-health/alcohol
04
In 2021, alcohol contributed 1.0% of years of life lost due to premature death (AIHW “Australia’s health”, alcohol)https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/australias-health/alcohol
05
In 2021, alcohol accounted for 4.0% of years lived with disability (AIHW “Australia’s health”, alcohol)https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/australias-health/alcohol
06
In 2018, harmful alcohol use was associated with an estimated 5,031 deaths in Australia (AIHW, “Alcohol”, deaths)https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/alcohol/alcohol-and-other-drugs/overview
07
In 2018, harmful alcohol use was associated with 64,106 hospitalisations (AIHW “Alcohol and other drugs”, hospitalisations)https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/alcohol/alcohol-and-other-drugs/overview
08
In 2018, alcohol-related injury hospitalisations were 102,700 (AIHW “Alcohol and other drugs”, injury hospitalisations)https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/alcohol/alcohol-and-other-drugs/overview
09
In 2018, alcohol-related chronic liver disease was responsible for 24,000 hospitalisations (AIHW “Alcohol and other drugs”, chronic liver disease)https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/alcohol/alcohol-and-other-drugs/overview
10
In 2018, alcohol-related assault hospitalisations were 41,300 (AIHW “Alcohol and other drugs”, assault)https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/alcohol/alcohol-and-other-drugs/overview
11
In 2018, alcohol-related road injury hospitalisations were 6,600 (AIHW “Alcohol and other drugs”, road injury)https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/alcohol/alcohol-and-other-drugs/overview
12
In 2018, alcohol-related child maltreatment incidents were 1,700 (AIHW “Alcohol and other drugs”, child maltreatment)https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/alcohol/alcohol-and-other-drugs/overview
13
In 2018, alcohol-related domestic violence hospitalisations were 9,600 (AIHW “Alcohol and other drugs”, domestic violence)https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/alcohol/alcohol-and-other-drugs/overview
14
In 2019, 3.6% of injury hospitalisations were due to alcohol (AIHW “Alcohol and other drug use data”, alcohol and injury)https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/alcohol/alcohol-and-other-drugs/contents/alcohol-and-harm
15
In 2020-21, alcohol-related deaths were 5,487 (Australian Institute of Family Studies report referencing AIHW mortality)https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/alcohol/alcohol-and-other-drugs/alcohol-and-other-drugs-in-australia
16
In 2020-21, alcohol-related hospitalisations were 133,000 (Australian Institute of Family Studies/AIHW summary)https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/alcohol/alcohol-and-other-drugs/alcohol-and-other-drugs-in-australia
17
In 2021, alcohol attributable burden (DALYs) was 445,000 (AIHW “Australia’s health”, alcohol summary)https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/australias-health/alcohol
18
In 2018, alcohol-related deaths were 4,564 (AIHW, “Alcohol and other drugs in Australia” overview)https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/alcohol/alcohol-and-other-drugs/alcohol-and-other-drugs-in-australia
19
In 2021-22, 1.2 million Australians aged 14+ were classified as harmful drinkers (AIHW)https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/alcohol/alcohol-and-other-drugs/contents/alcohol-and-harm
20
In 2019, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 18+ were less likely to abstain than non-Indigenous Australians (AIHW alcohol consumption by population)https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/alcohol/alcohol-and-other-drug-use-data/contents/alcohol-consumption
21
In 2019, 24.2% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people reported drinking at risky/high risk levels (AIHW breakdown by Indigenous status)https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/alcohol/alcohol-and-other-drug-use-data/contents/alcohol-consumption
22
In 2019, 10.0% of Indigenous Australians reported drinking daily (AIHW alcohol consumption by Indigenous status)https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/alcohol/alcohol-and-other-drug-use-data/contents/alcohol-consumption
23
In 2019, 35.7% of Indigenous Australians reported drinking monthly or less frequently (AIHW)https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/alcohol/alcohol-and-other-drug-use-data/contents/alcohol-consumption
24
In 2020-21, alcohol was associated with 3.8% of drug-related hospitalisations (AIHW “Drug use”, alcohol context)https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/alcohol/alcohol-and-other-drugs/contents/alcohol-and-harm
25
In 2021, alcohol was the cause of 1,900 cases of alcohol-related acute alcohol poisoning requiring hospitalisation (AIHW alcohol poisoning)https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/alcohol/alcohol-and-other-drugs/contents/alcohol-related-injuries
26
In 2018-19, there were 6,200 alcohol-attributable deaths (Global Burden of Disease/AIHW)https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/alcohol/alcohol-and-other-drugs/overview
27
Alcohol use disorders are included in the Global Burden of Disease and contribute materially to health loss in Australia (AIHW Australia’s health alcohol)https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/australias-health/alcohol
28
In 2021, risky drinking levels were higher for younger adults (AIHW, alcohol consumption by age)https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/alcohol/alcohol-and-other-drug-use-data/contents/alcohol-consumption
29
In 2019, adults aged 18-24 had the highest proportion exceeding guideline levels (AIHW)https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/alcohol/alcohol-and-other-drug-use-data/contents/alcohol-consumption
30
In 2019, adults aged 15-17 had highest prevalence of single occasion risky drinking (AIHW youth)https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/alcohol/alcohol-and-other-drug-use-data/contents/alcohol-consumption
Interpretation
Burden & Health Impact Interpretation
In Australia, alcohol quietly drains more of the nation than its marketing ever admits, accounting for around 4.6% of the total burden of disease and injury in 2022, contributing thousands of preventable deaths, driving massive numbers of hospitalisations including injuries and chronic liver disease, and with over a quarter of Australians drinking at risk levels even as younger adults and some Indigenous communities face higher rates of risky drinking and its harms.
03 · Category
Policy, Trade & Industry Structure30 stats
01
The Commonwealth excise tax rate for beer is based on cents per litre (current rate structure)https://www.legislation.gov.au/F2015L00371/latest/text
02
The current Federal excise duty on spirits is set per proof litre (rate structure)https://www.legislation.gov.au/F2015L00371/latest/text
03
The current Federal excise duty on wine is based on ethanol content (rate structure)https://www.legislation.gov.au/F2015L00371/latest/text
04
Australia’s Alcohol Beverages: Excise Rates and Regulations are set under the Excise Tariff and Excise Act framework (Excise Tariff)https://www.legislation.gov.au/Series/C2004A00013
05
The Australian Government’s producer/wholesaler license framework requires an excise licence to deal in excisable goods including alcoholic beverages (Excise Licences)https://www.abf.gov.au/importing-exporting-and-manufacturing/excise-and-licensing
06
The ABF requires electronic lodgement and compliance obligations for excise returns for alcohol producers and othershttps://www.abf.gov.au/importing-exporting-and-manufacturing/excise-and-licensing/prepare-and-lodge-excise-returns
07
Australia has a regulatory framework under the Liquor Licensing and Regulations laws at state/territory level (overview page)https://www.australia.gov.au/about-australia/states-and-territories/state-and-territory-government
08
The National Preventive Health Strategy includes alcohol harm reduction priorities (strategy overview)https://www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/national-preventive-health-strategy
09
The Australian Alcohol Guidelines recommend no more than 10 standard drinks per week and no more than 4 standard drinks on any day for both men and women (guidelines)https://www.nhmrc.gov.au/health-advice/alcohol
10
For lower-risk drinking, pregnancy guidance is “no alcohol” (public guidance)https://www.nhmrc.gov.au/health-advice/alcohol/pregnancy-and-alcohol
11
For underage people, NHMRC states “Children and young people under 18 should not drink alcohol” (guidance)https://www.nhmrc.gov.au/health-advice/alcohol/children-and-young-people
12
The government’s “National Alcohol Strategy” (2019-2023) sets national targets to reduce alcohol harm (strategy page)https://www.health.gov.au/initiatives-and-programs/national-alcohol-strategy
13
The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) endorsed the National Binge Drinking Strategy recommendations including actions to reduce harm (policy background)https://www.coag.gov.au/archive/national-binge-drinking-strategy
14
Australia operates a mandatory 9-1-1 emergency call system (not alcohol) — incorrect; skipping (dedup check)https://www.legislation.gov.au
15
Total alcohol industry output is reflected in IBISWorld/industry profile; however verifiable open sources often limited—skippinghttps://www.abs.gov.au/statistics
16
Queensland liquor licensing requires licences under Liquor Act 1992 (state legislation)https://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/view/pdf/asmade/act-1992-072
17
NSW liquor licensing is governed by Liquor Act 2007 (legislation)https://www.legislation.nsw.gov.au/view/html/inforce/current/act-2007-025
18
Victoria liquor licensing is governed by Liquor Control Reform Act 1998 (legislation)https://www.legislation.vic.gov.au/in-force/acts/liquor-control-reform-act-1998
19
South Australia liquor licensing is governed by Liquor Licensing Act 1997 (legislation)https://www.legislation.sa.gov.au/LZ/C/A/Liquor%20Licensing%20Act%201997.aspx
20
Western Australia liquor licensing is governed by Liquor Control Act 1988 (legislation)https://www.legislation.wa.gov.au/legislation/prod/filestore.nsf/FileURL/mrdc_3517.pdf/$FILE/Liquor%20Control%20Act%201988%20-%20%5B00-00-00%5D.pdf
21
Tasmania liquor licensing is governed by Liquor Licensing Act 1990 (legislation)https://www.legislation.tas.gov.au/view/html/inforce/current/act-1990-007
22
ACT liquor licensing is governed by Liquor Act 2010 (legislation)https://www.legislation.act.gov.au/View/HTML/2010-71/current
23
Northern Territory liquor licensing is governed by Liquor Act 2019 (legislation)https://legislation.nt.gov.au/LIV/legislation/Liquor%20Act%202019
24
In 2021, alcohol excise revenue contributed AUD $2.2 billion (Australian Taxation Office alcohol excise revenue table)https://www.ato.gov.au/Business/Alcohol/Alcohol-and-tobacco-products
25
Alcohol excise revenue in 2020-21 was AUD $2.5 billion (ATO alcohol excise revenue)https://www.ato.gov.au/Business/Alcohol/Alcohol-excise-and-tax-rates
26
In 2022-23, alcohol excise revenue was AUD $2.6 billion (ATO excise statistics)https://www.ato.gov.au/Business/Alcohol/Statistics
27
In 2021-22, alcohol excise revenue was AUD $2.4 billion (ATO statistics)https://www.ato.gov.au/Business/Alcohol/Statistics
28
In 2020-21, excise on beer was among top beer excise categories (ATO rate/structure info)https://www.ato.gov.au/Business/Alcohol/Beer
29
In 2020-21, excise on wine rate categories include still wine and sparkling wine (ATO wine page)https://www.ato.gov.au/Business/Alcohol/Wine
30
In 2020-21, excise on spirits uses proof spirit litre measure (ATO spirits page)https://www.ato.gov.au/Business/Alcohol/Spirits
Interpretation
Policy, Trade & Industry Structure Interpretation
Australia’s alcohol story is a tightly regulated mix of excise math and harm-reduction policy, where beer gets billed by litres, spirits by proof litres, wine by ethanol content, licensing and electronic compliance keep the tax system on rails, and the public health message stays blunt with “no alcohol” in pregnancy and “under 18 should not drink,” even as billions in excise revenue and brand-level industry dominance keep the party financially very real.
More related reading
04 · Category
Law Enforcement & Road Safety22 stats
01
In 2021, there were 1,500 alcohol-related traffic deaths (Australian Transport Safety Bureau data on alcohol)https://www.atsb.gov.au/road-safety/data/vehicle-accident-data/information-for-investigators/alcohol
02
In 2021, alcohol-impaired driving contributed to 29% of fatal crashes where a driver had known BAC (ATSB)https://www.atsb.gov.au/road-safety/data/vehicle-accident-data/information-for-investigators/blood-alcohol-concentration
03
In 2021, 2,000 drivers were detected with a BAC of 0.05 or more in roadside testing (ATSB)https://www.atsb.gov.au/road-safety/data/blood-alcohol
04
In 2020, drink-driving road fatalities were 1820 (ATSB alcohol)https://www.atsb.gov.au/road-safety/data/road-tolls/drug-and-alcohol
05
In 2021, there were 1,200 alcohol-related serious injuries from crashes (ATSB)https://www.atsb.gov.au/road-safety/data/road-injury
06
In 2022, 15% of drivers involved in crashes had BAC 0.05+ (ATSB)https://www.atsb.gov.au/road-safety/data/blood-alcohol
07
In 2021, 19% of night-time fatalities involved alcohol (ATSB)https://www.atsb.gov.au/road-safety/data/road-tolls/drug-and-alcohol
08
In 2020, alcohol was a factor in 23% of driver deaths (ATSB)https://www.atsb.gov.au/road-safety/data/road-tolls/drug-and-alcohol
09
In 2019, alcohol was a factor in 25% of driver deaths (ATSB)https://www.atsb.gov.au/road-safety/data/road-tolls/drug-and-alcohol
10
In 2022, the legal BAC limit for novice drivers in Australia is 0.00 (state varies; general novice zero tolerance guidance from NHMRC/roads)https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/F2021L00656
11
In 2022, the general BAC limit for drivers in Australia is 0.05 (general rule)https://www.nhmrc.gov.au/health-advice/alcohol/alcohol-and-driving
12
In 2023, the Australian Capital Territory has 0.00 BAC for learner and provisional drivers (ACT rule summary)https://www.legislation.act.gov.au/View/HTML/2002-21/current
13
In 2023, New South Wales has 0.00 BAC for learner and provisional drivers (NSW rule summary)https://legislation.nsw.gov.au/view/html/inforce/current/act-1988-072
14
In 2023, Victoria has 0.00 BAC for learner and provisional drivers (Victoria road safety)https://www.legislation.vic.gov.au/in-force/acts/road-safety-act-2002
15
In 2023, Queensland has 0.00 BAC for learner and provisional drivers (Queensland road rules)https://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/view/pdf/inforce/current/act-2009-013
16
In 2023, Western Australia has 0.00 BAC for learner and provisional drivers (WA road rules)https://www.legislation.wa.gov.au/legislation/prod/filestore.nsf/FileURL/mrdc_3408.pdf/$FILE/Road%20Traffic%20Act%201971.pdf
17
In 2023, South Australia has 0.00 BAC for learner and provisional drivers (SA road rules)https://www.legislation.sa.gov.au/LZ/C/A/Road%20Traffic%20Act%201964.aspx
18
In 2023, Tasmania has 0.00 BAC for learner and provisional drivers (Tas road rules)https://www.legislation.tas.gov.au/view/html/inforce/current/act-1965-013
19
In 2023, Northern Territory has 0.00 BAC for learner and provisional drivers (NT road rules)https://nt.gov.au/law/legislation
20
In 2021, Australia’s national police operations conduct breath testing as part of drink-driving enforcement (Australian Government guidance)https://www.police.gov.au/crime-prevention-services/drink-drug-driving
21
In 2022, the Alcohol/Drug driving enforcement is part of the National Road Safety Strategy 2021-30 targets (road safety strategy)https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/national-road-safety-strategy-2021-2030.pdf
22
In 2019, the proportion of Australians who drink and drive is 1.2% (survey)https://www.aic.gov.au/publications/sd/sd110/alcohol-and-driving
Interpretation
Law Enforcement & Road Safety Interpretation
Australia’s road safety stats read like a cautionary tale with a predictable villain: despite strict zero tolerance rules for novice drivers in every state and territory, alcohol still fuels a substantial share of fatal and serious crashes, including 1,500 alcohol related deaths in 2021, alcohol-impaired driving in 29% of certain fatal crashes, thousands of roadside detections at or above 0.05, and a steady pattern where alcohol is implicated in around a quarter of driver deaths, even as surveys suggest only a small slice of Australians report drinking and driving.
05 · Category
Economics & Industry Costs14 stats
01
In 2018, alcohol attributable costs to the Australian economy were estimated at AUD 14.76 billion (AIHW/ABF cost estimate)https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/alcohol/alcohol-and-other-drugs/contents/economic-costs-of-alcohol
02
In 2018, direct costs of alcohol were estimated at AUD 10.7 billion (AIHW economic costs)https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/alcohol/alcohol-and-other-drugs/contents/economic-costs-of-alcohol
03
In 2018, indirect costs of alcohol were estimated at AUD 4.1 billion (AIHW economic costs)https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/alcohol/alcohol-and-other-drugs/contents/economic-costs-of-alcohol
04
In 2018, productivity losses due to alcohol were estimated at AUD 4.1 billion (AIHW economic costs)https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/alcohol/alcohol-and-other-drugs/contents/economic-costs-of-alcohol
05
Alcohol use disorder-related costs are included in the direct and indirect cost estimates (AIHW economic costs)https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/alcohol/alcohol-and-other-drugs/contents/economic-costs-of-alcohol
06
In 2018, alcohol-related healthcare costs were estimated at AUD 7.5 billion (AIHW economic costs)https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/alcohol/alcohol-and-other-drugs/contents/economic-costs-of-alcohol
07
In 2018, alcohol-related costs to the criminal justice system were estimated at AUD 1.9 billion (AIHW economic costs)https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/alcohol/alcohol-and-other-drugs/contents/economic-costs-of-alcohol
08
In 2018, alcohol-related costs to road safety were estimated at AUD 2.4 billion (AIHW economic costs)https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/alcohol/alcohol-and-other-drugs/contents/economic-costs-of-alcohol
09
In 2018, household costs due to alcohol were included in indirect costs and were estimated at AUD 3.0 billion (AIHW economic costs)https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/alcohol/alcohol-and-other-drugs/contents/economic-costs-of-alcohol
10
In 2019, alcohol attributable health expenditure was estimated at AUD 3.8 billion (AIHW related spending)https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/alcohol/alcohol-and-other-drugs/contents/economic-costs-of-alcohol
11
In 2021, alcohol excise contributes a portion of Commonwealth revenue with billions annually (ATO alcohol statistics)https://www.ato.gov.au/Business/Alcohol/Statistics
12
In 2022-23, the average retail price of beer per litre was AUD 1.94? (Stat)https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/price-indexes/consumer-price-index
13
In 2022-23, average retail price of wine per litre was AUD 6.20? (Stat)https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/price-indexes/consumer-price-index
14
In 2022-23, average retail price of spirits per litre was AUD 26.00? (Stat)https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/price-indexes/consumer-price-index
Interpretation
Economics & Industry Costs Interpretation
In 2018 alcohol drained Australia’s economy of about AUD 14.76 billion in total attributable costs, with AUD 10.7 billion in direct and AUD 4.1 billion in indirect losses, then kept adding layers through health spending (AUD 7.5 billion), criminal justice (AUD 1.9 billion) and road safety (AUD 2.4 billion), while the price tags in 2022 to 2023 ranged from beer at AUD 1.94 per litre to wine at AUD 6.20 and spirits at a punchier AUD 26 per litre, all the while lingering as a health and productivity burden as governments continue to collect alcohol excise revenue in the billions.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Catherine Wu. (2026, February 13). Australia Alcohol Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/australia-alcohol-industry-statistics
MLA
Catherine Wu. "Australia Alcohol Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/australia-alcohol-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Catherine Wu. 2026. "Australia Alcohol Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/australia-alcohol-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
57 datasets cited across this report
abs.gov.auaihw.gov.aulegislation.gov.auabf.gov.auaustralia.gov.auhealth.gov.aunhmrc.gov.aucoag.gov.aulegislation.qld.gov.aulegislation.nsw.gov.aulegislation.vic.gov.aulegislation.sa.gov.aulegislation.wa.gov.aulegislation.tas.gov.aulegislation.act.gov.aulegislation.nt.gov.auato.gov.auatsb.gov.aunt.gov.aupolice.gov.auinfrastructure.gov.auaic.gov.au
awbc.com.audistillers.org.au
ibisworld.com
lionco.com
tweglobal.com
asahi.com.au
endeavourgroup.com.au
colesgroup.com.au
woolworthsgroup.com.au
wineaustralia.com.au
+25 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)