The latest nationwide Health Survey has found 'hazardous drinking' among Kiwis has dropped to its lowest rate in seven years.
"The Health Survey shows the lowest rate of hazardous drinking since the survey began – sitting at 16 percent of the adult population," said Virginia Nicholls, executive director at the NZ Alcohol Beverages Council, (NZABC).
Nicholls said the 2.7 percent drop in hazardous drinking compared to 2022's survey is "significant".
A 'hazardous drinker' means someone who gets a score of eight or more on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT).
The survey also revealed 84 percent of Kiwis aged 15 and older say they drink alcohol responsibly - a small 3 percent rise from last year.
Kiwis aged 18-24 saw a 7.1 percent drop in their hazardous drinking rate, now at 23.8 percent (respondents with an AUDIT score of eight or more).
For Māori respondents, the 8.3 percent drop in hazardous drinking was even bigger, now down to 25.1 percent.
Pasifika and Asian hazardous drinkers remained steady on 21.5 and 4.9 percent respectively.
Hazardous drinking among Pākehā/European and other ethnic groups fell to 16.9 percent, down 3.1 points.
Dr Harriette Carr, deputy director of public health at Manatū Hauora / Ministry of Health, said the survey provides valuable health data.
"The information collected supports the development of health services, policies and strategies, and helps the Ministry of Health and the wider sector to identify key issues and monitor trends," Dr Carr added.
An estimated 3.2 million Kiwis had an alcoholic drink in the past year - a small 2.8 percent drop on last year.
"The way in which New Zealanders drink is continuing to undergo a culture shift," said Nicholls.
The number of us getting through at least six drinks in a single session every week is also down 1.7 points to 8.6 percent.
Also in 2023, Kiwis consumed 3.1 percent fewer litres of alcoholic drinks compared to last year.
"Beer, wine and spirits consumption has declined more than 25 percent since the late 1970s," Nicholls added.
In the past 12 months, Kiwis consumed:
- 288m litres of beer
- 102m litres of spirits
- 100m litres of wine
- 490m litres in total.
"There are some encouraging trends but any harmful drinking is not acceptable and so we still have a way to go," Nicholls said.
The Health Survey has been running since 1992, but questions about alcohol consumption were only added for the first time in 2016.
About 7000 people aged 15 and over took part this year, with data collected between July 2022 and July 2023.
More findings from this year's Health Survey can be found on the Manatū Hauora / Ministry of Health website here, with past surveys found here.
