Story: Alcohol

Consumption of pure alcohol, 1960–2011

This graph shows the quantity of pure alcohol and the changing types of alcohol drunk for every person in New Zealand aged 15 and above. The amount of alcohol drunk per person since 1950 is considerably higher than in the early years. There was a steady increase until 1978, then a decrease until 1997. Then, as more spirits-based drinks, especially RTDs, came onto the market, the figure rose again. Also noteworthy is the long-term decline from the early 1970s in the quantity of beer consumed, and the steady increase, most marked in the 1970s, in wine consumption.

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Source: Statistics New Zealand

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How to cite this page:

Jock Phillips, 'Alcohol - The drink revolution, 1960 onwards', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/graph/40691/consumption-of-pure-alcohol-1960-2011 (accessed 19 March 2024)

Story by Jock Phillips, published 5 Sep 2013, updated 1 Apr 2016