Per capita alcohol consumption by Irish adults fell again last year, extending a consistent decline observed over the past 25 years.
According to the latest data from the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland (DIGI), per capita alcohol consumption among Irish adults fell by 2.1pc to 9.30 litres of pure alcohol, a 35.6pc total decline since alcohol intake peaked in Ireland in 2001.
The figures confirm that Ireland is no longer an international outlier for high alcohol consumption, firmly positioning the country within the standard European average. Beer remains dominant: It holds a 42.1pc market share, despite seeing a 2.7pc drop in overall volume. Wine secured second place with a 29.4pc market share, doubling its popularity since 2000. Spirits and cider are steady: Spirits hold a 22.4pc share, while cider remains flat at 6.1pc.
Evolving consumer preferences, health and diet tracking, and the massive surge in 0.0pc non-alcoholic alternatives are driving this sustained shift toward moderation. Following these findings, hospitality bodies are actively leveraging the report to lobby the government for a 10pc excise tax cut in the upcoming budget to relieve pressure on local pubs.
