Studies are showing that Gen Z is less interested in alcohol than previous generations, but alcohol sales are down across the board in Canada, with beer and wine sales hitting an all-time low in February.
The Toronto Star detailed findings from a report that showed the volume of beer sold per person in Canada had hit an all-time low, while wine sales based on volume are the lowest they’ve been since 1949 when the tracking of such sales began.
Between April 2021 and March 2022, beer sales based on volume decreased by 2.1 per cent. The Star also notes that beer sales have been declining since the 1970s.
Despite this, beer was still the most popular alcoholic drink of choice in Canada.
Wine sales, on the other hand, decreased by 4.0 per cent between 2021 and 2022.
“This was the largest decrease in the volume of wine sold since Statistics Canada began tracking alcohol sales in 1949,” the government agency explained per The Star.
Wine remained the highest-selling alcoholic beverage in Quebec and British Columbia.
The sales of alcoholic beverages in general decreased by 1.2 per cent in 2022 in Canada, marking the first time alcohol sales have declined since 2013-2014.
The agency that conducted this study stressed that it could not fully represent consumption trends, as ingredients to make homemade alcoholic beverages were not considered.
Sales may get even lower in the coming months as a new federal tax increase of 6.3 per cent on all beer, wine, and sprits is set to begin on April 1. The tax has increased yearly since 2017 in conjunction with inflation.
