Alcohol and Tobacco Available For Consumption

Alcohol and Tobacco Available For Consumption: Year ended December 2000

Decrease In Alcoholic Beverage Available For Consumption

The volume of alcoholic beverage available for consumption in the December 2000 year was 1.5 per cent lower than in the December 1999 year, according to Statistics New Zealand. This follows increases in the previous two years.

The main contributor to this decrease was a drop of 11.3 million litres, or 3.6 per cent, in the volume of beer available for consumption. Beer with an alcohol content between 2.5 and 4.35 per cent, which is the most common strength of beer available for consumption in New Zealand, fell by 15.7 million litres, or 6.0 per cent compared with the December 1999 year. There was a rise of 4.8 million litres for beer with an alcohol content over 4.35 per cent.

The total volume of wine available for consumption decreased by 0.6 per cent in the year to December 2000. While the volume of New Zealand produced wine available for domestic consumption increased, the volume of imported wines available for consumption fell by 6.6 per cent in the December 2000 year.

The volume of spirit-based drinks available for consumption increased by 4.4 million litres in December 2000 year, or 22 per cent compared with the December 1999 year. This reflects the increasing demand for ready-to-drink beverages.

During the December 2000 year the number of cigarettes made available for consumption rose 1.1 per cent to 3,152 million. The volume of tobacco available for consumption rose 14.2 per cent to 841 tonnes during the same period.

Ian Ewing DEPUTY GOVERNMENT STATISTICIAN END

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