Irish Drinking Less Alcohol

Since the peak of 2001, the average per adult alcohol consumption has declined by 31%, according to a report authored by Economist and Associate Professor Emeritus at DCU Anthony Foley.

The report, commissioned by the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland (DIGI) to calculate the 2023 average level of consumption, shows that average per adult alcohol consumption decreased in 2023 by 1.5% (9.96 litres of pure alcohol vs 10.109 in 2022), a 31% decrease since 2001. Total consumption increased by 0.9% in 2023 in parallel with a 2.4% increase in the adult population for the same period.  

The report also shows that Irish consumer trends and tastes are changing in terms of consumption habits.?Beer remains the most popular drink, making up 42.9% of all consumption in 2023. Wine is the second most popular at 28.3% of all consumption in 2023, and Spirits rank as the third most popular drink with 22.6% of the 2023 total consumption, a slight decrease on 2022. Cider accounted for 6.2% of the 2023 total consumption, which was 6.6% in 2022 – a 0.4% decrease.

According to a recent report from Ibec group Drinks Ireland, sales of non-alcoholic beer grew last year by 18%, as production surged by 50% in response to rising consumer demand. The report showed that non-alcoholic beer’s market share is now over 2%, an almost 100% increase over the last four years.