Alcohol consumption among adults in Ireland has fallen by almost 5% over the past year. The latest figures are in line with the downward trend observed over the past 25 years.
According to a new report by economist Anthony Foley, average alcohol consumption per capita fell by 4.5% last year to 9.49 litres of pure alcohol. This represents a decline of more than a third (34.3%) since 2001.
Total alcohol consumption in Ireland fell by 2.4% last year to 41.5 million litres, which is in line with the overall decline in per capita alcohol consumption of 4.5%, taking into account the 2.3% population growth last year. The report indicates that consumer tastes are also changing.
Last year, beer was the most popular alcoholic beverage in Ireland, with its market share increasing by 0.4% to 43.3%, despite an overall decline in beer consumption.
Wine ranked second in popularity, with its share increasing by 0.1% to 28.2% in 2024. Its popularity has grown significantly since 2000 (13.2%). At the same time, consumption of spirits fell by 0.4% to 22.3%, and cider by 0.1% to 6.1%.
The report was commissioned by the Irish Drinks Group (Digi), which said the figures showed that Irish people were increasingly drinking alcohol in moderation.
This is consistent with other recent data indicating that alcohol consumption in Ireland is currently at the European average.
OECD data for 2022 shows that Ireland lags behind countries such as France, Spain and Austria in terms of alcohol consumption, while a separate report by the Health Research Council published last year also indicates that alcohol consumption in Ireland is at average levels for the EU and OECD.
Donall O’Keefe, secretary of Digi and chief executive of the Association of Licensed Wineries, said the findings reflected a trend over the past 25 years.
Across Ireland, hundreds of small rural pubs and restaurants are struggling to survive due to the constant rise in business costs, including staff, energy and insurance.
The Digi report was compiled by Professor Foley, honorary associate professor at Dublin City University, based on data from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) on population and migration for April 2024, as well as data from the Revenue Commissioners on alcohol sales.
Ireland has the third highest excise tariff on alcoholic beverages in the EU after Finland and Sweden. In 2024, domestic sales of Irish alcoholic beverages fell by 1.4%, but rose by 8.4% compared to 2019.
High competition in the global market and difficult economic conditions have significantly complicated the position of Irish alcohol producers in the international arena. Irish whiskey exports in 2023 fell to €1.3 billion, which is 9% less than in the previous year.
