Alcohol consumption by Irish adults falls by almost 5% in a year
The latest data has been described as consistent with a downward trend recorded over the last 25 years.
A new report by economist Anthony Foley found the average alcohol consumption per adult fell by 4.5% last year to 9.49 litres of pure alcohol.
This is a drop of more than one-third (34.3%) since 2001.
Total consumption in Ireland fell by 2.4% last year to 41.5 million litres, which equates to an overall 4.5% drop in alcohol intake per person when last year's 2.3% increase in the population is taken into account.
The report indicates that consumption tastes are also evolving.
Beer was the Ireland's most popular alcohol last year, with its market share increasing by 0.4% to 43.3% despite an overall drop in beer consumption.
Wine was the second-most popular drink, increasing its market share by 0.1% to 28.2% in 2024. Its popularity has increased significantly since 2000 (13.2%).
Meanwhile, spirits fell by 0.4% to 22.3% and cider fell by 0.1% to 6.1%.
The report was commissioned by the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland (Digi), which said the figures demonstrated that Irish people are increasingly drinking alcohol in moderation.
It follows other recent data which suggests that alcohol consumption in Ireland is now at average European levels.
OECD data for 2022 revealed that Irish consumption ranks behind countries including France, Spain and Austria, and a separate report by the Health Research Board last year also indicated that Ireland's alcohol consumption was at average levels by EU or OECD standards.
Donall O'Keefe, the secretary of Digi and chief executive of the Licensed Vintners Association, said the findings are reflective of a trend over the last 25 years.
He has also called on Government to cut excise rates.
'Today's figures offer clear proof of what many of us already know – Irish people are increasingly drinking in a restrained manner, with consumption continuing the downward trajectory that has been recorded since the millennium,' he said.
'In contrast to the negative stereotypes that once existed, alcohol consumption in Ireland is now at average European levels, with the purchase of non-alcoholic drinks continuing to increase.
'This downward trend also raises the obvious question as to why Ireland continues to have the second-highest excise rates on alcohol in Europe.
'Given that we now consume alcohol at average European levels it makes sense that we should pay excise at average European levels also.
'This is particularly true following the introduction of minimum unit pricing which prevents the sale of strong alcohol at low prices in supermarkets and shops.
'Across Ireland, hundreds of small rural pubs and restaurants are struggling for survival due to repeated increases in the cost of doing businesses, including staff, energy and insurance.
'A cut in excise would offer these businesses an opportunity to continue acting as vital hubs in their communities, as well as a crucial part of our tourism product.'
'Digi will be seeking a 10% cut in excise in this year's budget as an urgent measure to give these businesses a fighting chance of survival.'
The Digi report was compiled by Prof Foley, associate professor emeritus at Dublin City University, using data from the CSO population and migration estimates for April 2024 and the Revenue Commissioners' alcohol clearances data.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Powys County Times
41 minutes ago
- Powys County Times
Investments in UK tech sector will create hundreds of jobs, says Government
Hundreds of jobs are set to be created across the UK as part of a raft of investments in the technology sector, the Government has announced. It comes as Science and Technology Secretary Peter Kyle told an audience at London Tech Week that the UK must be at 'the cutting edge' of rapidly growing technologies, such as AI. The technology sector is a key area of the Government's efforts to accelerate growth in the UK economy, in a bid to support efforts to increase spending. On Tuesday, a number of 'significant investments' in the sector were announced in areas including AI and fintech, which will see some companies setting up in the UK for the first time. Liquidity, a US-based AI fintech business, revealed it will launch its European headquarters in London as part of a plan to invest an additional £1.5 billion over the next five years. Meanwhile, Capgemini said it will expand UK operations with a new London headquarters. Netcompany, a Danish IT consultancy, will also invest £2 million to expand its Leeds office and is launching a new site in Edinburgh, which will ultimately create 150 jobs. Other investments include InnovX AI, a major European start-up hub, investing £14.7 million in a new London technology site, creating 30 jobs. Mr Kyle said: 'We have all seen over the last few years, just how rapidly and profoundly technologies like AI are transforming the economy, and our society. 'Britain can – and must – be at the cutting edge of this change. 'The era of hesitancy is over: we can be the masters of our fate, and through the measures I am announcing today, we will harness the vast potential of our trillion-pound tech sector to help remake our country for the better.' The Government said on Tuesday that it was opening its Science and Technology Venture Capital Fellowship for a second cohort and round of applications, to increase the capacity of the UK financial sector to invest in start-up businesses in the sector. Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said: 'Securing valuable high-tech investment is an integral mission of this government and seeing global investors put billions in the UK economy shows the plan for change is working, with more and more companies choosing Britain. 'With tech being identified as a key growth sector in our upcoming modern industrial strategy, we're not only helping attract and secure investment, but delivering long-term, stable growth that supports skilled jobs and raises living standards across the UK.'
The Herald Scotland
an hour ago
- The Herald Scotland
Scotland must read the small print in Ireland's growth success
These figures are, however, astonishing, just too good to be true – and they are. Irish growth is hugely inflated by the presence of large US multinationals in the high-tech sector, especially in pharmaceuticals and digital technologies. The capital flows – investments, repatriated profits, IP ownership etc – and trade flows – imports and exports – associated with their operational activity and financial engineering, heavily distort the picture of what's happening elsewhere in the Irish economy. The lowest corporation tax rate in Europe (12.5%) and other sweeteners have helped to attract these US behemoths. This has already put the Irish Government in the crosshairs of the EU: last year the European Court of Justice required a reluctant Irish Government to claw back 13 billion euros from Apple on the grounds that unlawful tax advantages had been granted. Now, reciprocal tariffs of up to 50% are being threatened by the Trump administration: not good news for the likes of Pfizer, in Cork, which exports 80% of its drugs back to the US for finishing. Unsurprisingly, the high surge in Irish first-quarter growth is in large part due to stockpiling by these businesses in anticipation of new tariffs being imposed. Paul Krugman, the Nobel Prize-winning economist, described Irish growth as 'leprechaun economics' where GDP is 'artificially' distorted by multinational tax strategies. He's right. The main lesson for Scotland is to avoid dangerous over-dependence on powerful multinationals and to try to keep on Trump's good side – at least until things change. Other home-grown development paths are always available. Ewen Peters, Newton Mearns. FM should call an NHS summit I RECENTLY read a letter, published elsewhere, from a group of senior health professionals who very crisply, in a blameless collegiate way, described a way forward for our NHS and Social Care. In essence they are calling for John Swinney to put aside party politics and call a non-political summit to discuss and review the way forward for our health service. We've had various summits most recently about the rise of far right so surely it shouldn't to too difficult to organise this considering it's the subject uttermost in the minds of most citizens' concerns. Of course these experts are not suggesting that a simple summit will solve all the ills of our health and social care but as the start of a cross-party approach, upon which there are many areas of common ground. Our politicians owe us this but sad to say, with another election looming, I somehow doubt anyone has the guts or ambition to grasp the health nettle and plot a way forward. Come on, John, do as you say and put the people of Scotland First. Ian McNair, Cellardyke. Summits are the height of delusion I KNOW that the SNP likes to pretend that Scotland is a sovereign state bestriding the world stage. After all, as Cabinet secretary Mairi MacAllan told Holyrood in February 2024, 'More often than not, world leaders are approaching the Scottish government asking for our advice on how we have managed to lead the way so successfully on a number of fronts'. If you believe any of that, you will believe anything. John Swinney's self-important contribution to this is to hold 'summits'. Did we ever hear positive results from the one in April when he gathered the not very great or good together to devise a strategy for combating Reform? That went well last week. Now he is to hold a 'summit' on the scourge of knife crime. Some angry Scottish nationalists on social media are asking why he isn't holding a summit on independence, instead, which gives an indication of their (lack of) interest in the wellbeing of Scots. A summit is normally understood as a meeting of world leaders on a pressing issue of international concern. Using it to describe the deliberations of a devolved authority on a serious internal problem is to indulge in delusions of grandeur. Par for the SNP course. Jill Stephenson, Edinburgh. Organising NHS staff properly IAIN McNicol's letter (June 9) gives a glowing review of his NHS treatment and he suggests that taxes should be increased to improve funding of this enormous organisation. Not everyone has been so well treated and many have to wait a very long time for treatment. I speak from some experience. Television is full of programmes about hospitals, emergency services, ambulances. et cetera. Even for a minor accident it is not unusual to have a couple of ambulances, a fast response paramedic, the Hazardous Area Response Team, the fire service, a couple of police cars and a JRU (Joint Response Unit). In many cases a helicopter is called in to add to the mayhem and sometimes sent away again as not needed. The scene is a sea of blue lights and all colours of high-vis jackets. What does all that cost and could it not be more economically organised? Then the scene switches back to the A&E department and here you can see a large number of staff milling around, sitting at computers. I don't think funding is the problem. I think it has more do with actual organisation, but with an enormous unionised workforce it will never be sorted out. David Gilchrist, Paisley. Child Payment has been a success THERE can be little doubt that the Scottish Child Payment (SCP) is one of the most progressive initiatives delivered by either the UK government or any of the devolved ones during the last 10-15 years. Author, political commentator and Oxford University Professor Danny Dorling acknowledged this at the weekend when he said the SCP had significantly helped tackle child poverty in Scotland while remaining almost entirely ignored by politicians in England, whom he accused of wearing 'unbelievable blinkers'. He added that for an eligible family, 'If you've got three kids that's about £4,000 a year extra – that means that your children can eat and eat well, I mean healthily'. Figures published in March indicated that 31% of children across the UK were in relative poverty compared with 30% a year earlier. In Scotland the rate was 22% compared with 26% for the previous year. The SCP is yet another example of positive change initiated by the Scottish government and as such, is in stark contrast to the 'change' promised but not delivered by UK Labour. As Professor Dorling intimates, it is strange that there is such widespread ignorance of it south of the border. Perhaps the Child Poverty Task Force set up by Keir Starmer will recommend its adoption right across the UK. Alan Woodcock, Dundee. Sarwar did well in his TV interview THEY say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The letter from S. McArthur (June 10) would suggest that the same seems to apply to political programmes. Contrary to the views expressed, I found Anas Sarwar's interview to be excellent. He dealt at length with issues relevant to the Scottish Parliament, which was what the by-election was all about and declined the invitation to dwell on issues for which the First Minister has no responsibility whatsoever. He answered at length matters which they are. As a Labour voter I was very proud. John Swinney, a nice man, demonstrated the pressures he had been under the whole week-end, and was understandably crestfallen. I am sure that I was not alone in being hugely impressed by the interview with Dame Jackie Baillie as the votes were being counted. Emotionally drained, she gave the honest answer that at that point the result was too close to call. It came as no surprise when we saw the Herald's picture of Dame Jackie in tears. As a Labour voter I thought that, not for the first time, she is the kind of person who gives politics a good name. Sir Tom Clarke, Former Labour MP for Coatbridge. Election count? IT would appear that the First Minister does not even have a basic grasp of maths – pretty essential, may I suggest, for this role. He claimed that the Labour vote at Hamilton 'collapsed by 20% from 50% to 30%'; this is a reduction of 20% points, the actual percentage reduction is an entirely different figure . Perhaps the Cabinet Secretary for Education could put him right? Mike Flinn, West Kilbride.
North Wales Chronicle
2 hours ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Investments in UK tech sector will create hundreds of jobs, says Government
It comes as Science and Technology Secretary Peter Kyle told an audience at London Tech Week that the UK must be at 'the cutting edge' of rapidly growing technologies, such as AI. The technology sector is a key area of the Government's efforts to accelerate growth in the UK economy, in a bid to support efforts to increase spending. On Tuesday, a number of 'significant investments' in the sector were announced in areas including AI and fintech, which will see some companies setting up in the UK for the first time. Liquidity, a US-based AI fintech business, revealed it will launch its European headquarters in London as part of a plan to invest an additional £1.5 billion over the next five years. Meanwhile, Capgemini said it will expand UK operations with a new London headquarters. Netcompany, a Danish IT consultancy, will also invest £2 million to expand its Leeds office and is launching a new site in Edinburgh, which will ultimately create 150 jobs. Other investments include InnovX AI, a major European start-up hub, investing £14.7 million in a new London technology site, creating 30 jobs. Mr Kyle said: 'We have all seen over the last few years, just how rapidly and profoundly technologies like AI are transforming the economy, and our society. 'Britain can – and must – be at the cutting edge of this change. 'The era of hesitancy is over: we can be the masters of our fate, and through the measures I am announcing today, we will harness the vast potential of our trillion-pound tech sector to help remake our country for the better.' The Government said on Tuesday that it was opening its Science and Technology Venture Capital Fellowship for a second cohort and round of applications, to increase the capacity of the UK financial sector to invest in start-up businesses in the sector. Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said: 'Securing valuable high-tech investment is an integral mission of this government and seeing global investors put billions in the UK economy shows the plan for change is working, with more and more companies choosing Britain. 'With tech being identified as a key growth sector in our upcoming modern industrial strategy, we're not only helping attract and secure investment, but delivering long-term, stable growth that supports skilled jobs and raises living standards across the UK.'
