Resources | NZ Statistics


	Library Catalogue
	NZ Statistics
	Publications & Orders
	ALAC's Magazine
	Community Action

Media

Scholarships & Grants

Events

What are New Zealanders drinking?

Females typically drink more wine than any other beverage and males typically drink more beer. Ready-to-drinks (RTDs) are increasingly becoming more popular among young people, particularly young women aged 12-24 years.

ALAC has provided some guidelines on upper limits for responsible drinking. The limits are based on a measurement called the “standard drink”. Each standard drink contains 10 grams of alcohol. The guidelines suggest that in any one week males should drink no more than 21 standard drinks and females no more than 14. The guidelines also suggest that on any one occasion men should drink no more than six standard drinks and women should drink no more than four.

Per occasion consumption

The 2004 alcohol use survey used similar upper limits to ALAC’s recommended guidelines for per occasion consumption for their definition of “drinking large amounts” (i.e. no more than six drinks for males and no more than four for females per drinking occasion). Overall, an estimated 24.7 percent of New Zealand drinkers aged 12–65 years reported consuming large amounts of alcohol on a typical drinking occasion.

Among non-Maori drinkers and those drinkers aged 25-34 years, males were significantly more likely than females to drink large amounts of alcohol on a typical drinking occasion.

Further, in the 2006/07 New Zealand Portrait of Health Survey, approximately 21 percent of all adult drinkers surveyed had a potentially hazardous drinking pattern. This equates to approximately 17.7 percent of the New Zealand adult population. The 2006-07 ALAC Monitor also found that of those adults aged 18+ years surveyed approximately one-quarter were binge drinkers (i.e. consumed 7+ standard drinks on their last drinking session or on at least one occasion within the last two weeks prior to being surveyed).

Per week consumption

The way in which data is collected limits our ability to determine the extent to which individuals are drinking in excess of ALAC’s recommended weekly consumption guidelines. Despite this, the data (outlined above) provides some indication of the likely extent to which some individuals may be exceeding the recommended weekly consumption guidelines. In addition, the 2004 alcohol use survey also found that an estimated 15.4 percent of New Zealand drinkers consumed alcohol seven or more times a week on average in the last 12 months (18.7 percent male and 10.9 percent female).

Given the average weekly consumption estimates, the hazardous drinking pattern information and the estimated per occasion consumption data, it is likely that the weekly consumption guidelines are being exceeded by approximately one-fifth of the total population aged 12-65 years.