NZABC survey shows rise in low alc drinking

An annual survey of New Zealanders’ drinking habits has found that more than half of those surveyed tried a low alcohol drink in 2022 – up 9% on the previous year.

The research for the NZ Alcohol Beverages Council (NZABC) was conducted by Curia and surveyed 1250 people across New Zealand.

The NZABC says that its annual survey aims to understand New Zealanders’ views on how alcohol is perceived across a number of issues. One set of questions asked what respondents were drinking and how they drank overall.

The results showed that 56% of those surveyed tried a low alcohol drink in 2022, up 9% on 2021, while 69% had tried a ‘premium’ drink, up 13% from 2021.

The research also found that of those who had tried a premium wine, beer or spirit, 45% consumed it more slowly.

“The trend of going ‘no and lo’ and ‘sipping and savouring’ your drinks appears to be cementing itself into the way we drink,” says NZABC Deputy Chair, Robert Brewer. “This means we are actively choosing to slow down when we drink and, for others, it’s about choosing a lower alcohol option.

“Drinking higher strength options more slowly and/or choosing lower alcohol options are great trends and mirror the overall decline in drinking over the last couple of decades,” added Brewer.

“We’re drinking approximately 25% less per capita than we did in the early 80s and we’re drinking less harmfully as well. However, there is still a lot of work to be done to better understand and then accelerate the changes we are beginning to see in our drinking culture.”