Canada And Alcohol

Alcohol holds a significant place in Canadian culture, shaping social interactions and consumption patterns across the nation. With three in four Canadian adults engaging in alcohol consumption, understanding the landscape involves delving into spending habits, preferences in beverages, regional variations, and the evolving dynamics, including changes witnessed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

How Common Is Alcoholism In Canada

Seventy-five percent of Canadian adults partake in alcohol consumption, as revealed by recent statistics. In 2019, just over three-quarters, totaling 76.5% of Canadians aged 15 and older reported consuming alcohol. Among these, men exhibited a slightly higher rate of consumption (78.3%) than women (74.7%). Notably, individuals aged 20 to 24 years recorded the highest alcohol consumption rate at 84.4%.

Statistics from 2019 also highlight Canadian households’ spending habits, averaging $1,125 on alcoholic beverages. Of this amount, 71.0% was expended on alcohol purchases from stores, while 28.4% was allocated to purchases at restaurants or bars. Remarkably, this expenditure mirrored the amount spent on furnishings.

However, abstaining from alcohol is the choice for nearly a quarter, accounting for 23.5% of Canadian adults who do not engage in alcohol consumption.

Beer and wine constitute the lion’s share of alcohol sales in Canada. In 2020/2021, beer continued to dominate, accounting for 36.0% of total sales, followed closely by wine at 31.4%. Spirits held a share of 25.4%, while ciders and coolers accounted for 7.2%.

Geographically, preferences in alcohol consumption vary across Canada. Beer remains the popular choice in most regions, yet wine claimed the top spot in Quebec (43.5%) and British Columbia (33.4%). At the same time, spirits emerged as the predominant choice in the Northwest Territories, constituting 45.7% of total sales [2].

Impact of COVID-19 on Alcohol Use

During the initial year of the COVID-19 pandemic, alcohol sales experienced a remarkable surge, marking the largest increase in over a decade. Liquor authorities reported a 4.2% spike, amounting to $25.5 billion in alcoholic beverage sales for 2020/2021.

Buying patterns underwent substantial changes amid the pandemic, with Canadians making fewer visits to liquor stores but purchasing larger quantities of alcohol compared to pre-pandemic times. The surge in off-premise consumption offset the decline in sales witnessed at bars and restaurants.

Moreover, heavy drinking among Canadians declined nationally in 2021. Approximately 5.1 million individuals, representing 15.6% of Canadians aged 12 years and older, reported engaging in heavy drinking. This was defined as consuming five or more drinks for men and four or more for women, at least once a month within the past year. Remarkably, this marked the lowest level of heavy drinking recorded since 2015.

Alcohol-Related Harms

Alcohol-related harm is a harsh reality. In 2019, around 21% of individuals who consumed alcohol within the past year, totaling 4.8 million people, experienced at least one alcohol-related harm. Notably, young adults aged 20 to 24 years (40%) and youth aged 15 to 19 years (38%) reported a higher prevalence of alcohol-related harm compared to adults aged 25 years and older (18%).

Tragically, alcohol-related deaths surged by over one-fifth (+21%) since the onset of the pandemic, resulting in 3,875 deaths attributable to alcohol consumption in 2021. A significant majority, approximately two-thirds of these deaths, occurred among Canadians aged 64 years and younger.

The Rise of Costs

The cost of alcoholic beverages also rose substantially, experiencing a 5.8% increase in prices year-over-year in December, marking the steepest escalation since 1991. This rise, however, lagged slightly behind the overall inflation rate (+6.3%) for the same period, signifying a notable impact on consumers’ wallets.

Alcohol prices experienced the most substantial year-over-year escalation in British Columbia (+9.1%) and the least in Manitoba (+4.2%) [2].