Approximately 40% of the population (aged 14 years and over) drink alcohol at least once per week, including 5% of the population who drink daily. Twenty-three percent of Australians do not drink alcohol at all.
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The percentage of U.S. adults aged 18 and older who say they drink alcohol averaged 63% over the past two years, whereas 36% described themselves as “total abstainers.” The drinking rate ticks up to 65% when narrowed to adults of legal drinking age, which is 21 and older nationwide.
One in four people (25.8% or 5 million people) aged 18 years and over exceeded the guideline in 2020-21. This includes those who either consumed more than 10 drinks in the last week and/or consumed 5 or more drinks on any day at least monthly in the last 12 months (12 occasions per year).
According to statistics from the federal government's Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW), young people are driving an increase in people abstaining from alcohol.
Alcohol is an intrinsic part of Australian culture and it plays a central role in most people's social lives. Heavy drinking is seen as acceptable in almost all social situations, from weddings to sports matches, and even at funerals or baby showers.
The consumption of alcohol is widespread within Australia and entwined with many social and cultural activities. However, harmful levels of consumption are a major health issue, associated with increased risk of chronic disease, injury and premature death.
Approximately 84 per cent of Australians drink alcohol at least once in a 12-month period, compared to 83.9 per cent in the UK and 68.9 per cent in the US.
The figures released by the World Health Organisation show Australians drink more pure alcohol per year than Americans, Canadians and the Japanese. “Australians drink 10.6 litres of pure alcohol each year, much higher than the global average of 6.4 litres,” according to the authors of the report.
Australia has a relatively high apparent annual alcohol consumption rate per capita compared with other developed countries. In the most recent year for which data are available, the range of apparent annual consumption rates among selected developed countries was 6.0–11.7 litres per capita.
Australians have been named the heaviest drinkers in the world in a survey after spending more time drunk in 2020 than any other nation. The international survey found Australians drank to the point of drunkenness an average of 27 times a year, almost double the global average of 15.
Some cohorts are drinking at riskier levels than others: men are twice as likely as women to drink at risky levels (24 per cent and 10 per cent, respectively), with men in their 40s being the most likely (29 per cent) to drink at risky levels (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2017)
There was an overall decline in the proportion of people who drink daily from 2016 (6.0%) to 2019 (5.4%) (AIHW 2020, Table 3.5). People aged 70 and over continued to be the most likely to drink daily (12.6%), followed by people in their 60s (9.6%) and 50s (7.3%).
Globally, almost half of adults do not drink alcohol (excluding those who used to drink but have stopped).
Beer drinkers have better mental and physical health than teetotallers and ex-drinkers, scientists have found. Enjoying a pint or two sees people rate their levels of health and happiness more highly, according to a team at the University of Murcia in Spain.
For example, one study following more than 333,000 adults for about eight years found light-to-moderate drinkers were more than 20 percent less likely to die prematurely from all causes and from cardiovascular disease in particular than people who never drank at all.
Queenslanders appear to be the nation's biggest beer drinkers, with South Australians drinking the least.
The alcohol beverages most commonly consumed by Australians are bottled wine (34%), regular strength beer (19%), and bottled spirits/liqueur (15%).
Australians boast about their selection and variety of alcohol. The most famous drink in Australia is vino. The most consumed drink in this country is red wine.
Russia and Australia have the highest prevalence of alcoholism dependence overall, with 2.61 per cent and 2.58 per cent, respectively. According to the World Health Organization, US has the lowest rate of alcohol dependence with only 1.93 per cent.
Alcohol use
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are less likely to drink alcohol than other Australians. But those that do drink are more likely than other Australians to: drink at dangerous levels – both over a lifetime and on a single occasion.
Laws that apply anywhere in Australia
Legal drinking age – you must be 18 or older to buy alcohol or to drink alcohol in a licensed venue. Selling alcohol – it's illegal to sell alcohol to anyone under 18 or to someone who is already drunk.
Gnowangerup has been crowned the booziest town in Australia, with one-third of its adult residents necking two or more alcoholic drinks every day.
An ABC News article published in 2018 described lemon, lime, and bitters (LLB) as "Australia's national drink". Lemon, lime, and bitters is a mixed drink made with (clear) lemonade, lime cordial, and Angostura bitters. The lemonade is sometimes substituted with soda water or lemon squash.
Heavy Alcohol Use:
For men, consuming more than 4 drinks on any day or more than 14 drinks per week. For women, consuming more than 3 drinks on any day or more than 7 drinks per week.