For the year ended December 2014 compared with the year ended December 2013:

• The total volume of alcoholic beverage available for consumption fell 2.0 percent, to 457 million litres.
• The volume of beer available fell 2.3 percent, to 282 million litres.
• The volume of pure alcohol available for consumption fell 0.3 percent, to 32.8 million litres.
• The volume of pure alcohol available per person aged 18 years and over fell 1.2 percent, to 9.6 litres. This equates to an average of 2.1 standard drinks per person per day.

Liz MacPherson, Government Statistician
ISSN 2230-3278
25 February 2015