Australians drinking less: report

4 May 2012, 9:16 am   -   Source: AAP

Australians are drinking less and we are no longer a beer-swilling nation, an economist says.

Australia's reputation as a beer-swilling nation is on the line.

Beer quaffing plunged to a 65-year low in 2010-11 as we managed only 4.23 litres each, CommSec analyst Savanth Sebastian says in an economic insight report.

"Australia used to be a beer-drinking nation," Mr Sebastian says.

"That has changed, just like a whole host of other things."

Wine and beer consumption were neck and neck at the end of June last year but we might already be drinking more wine than beer, Mr Sebastian says.

Drinking spirits is also on the rise but overall alcohol consumption fell in the last financial year for a fourth straight year and is now down at nine-year lows, he says.

"Perhaps its all about quality not quantity," the report says.

"Or perhaps Aussies are taking health matters seriously."

Australians are also spending less on cigarettes and take-away food, the report says.

* Australian beer drinking fell from 4.45 litres of pure alcohol per person (aged 15 years or more) to 4.23 litres in 2010-11 compared with the previous year.

* Consumption of full-strength beer fell from 3.67 litres to 3.49 litres.

* Mid-strength fell from 0.57 litres to 0.56 litres.

* Low-strength fell from 0.22 litres to 0.18 litres.

* Total apparent consumption of alcohol fell for the fourth straight year, down from 10.27 lires of pure alcohol per person to 9.99 litres per person.

As a standard drink consists of 12.5ml of pure alcohol, this is equivalent to an average of 2.2 standard drinks per day per person aged 15 years and over, Mr Sebastian said.

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