Statistics on Alcohol, England 2019 [PAS]

Information on purchases and expenditure on alcohol have been taken from Family Food which is published by Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA), and is based on data collected by the Living Costs and Food Survey.

The affordability of alcohol uses information on alcohol price and retail price indices taken from the ONS publication: Focus on Consumer Price Indices and households’ disposable income data published by ONS in the Economic and Labour Market Review.

No further data has been released in relation to purchases and expenditure on alcohol since the publication of Statistics on Alcohol 2018.

Please see the below link for the relevant information from Statistics on Alcohol 2018.

Long term trend

In the UK since 1987 alcohol has become 64% more affordable¹.

Last ten years (2008 to 2018)²

Over the last ten years the price of alcohol has increased by 31%³.

The price of alcohol decreased by 0.3%⁴ relative to retail prices, whilst real disposable income per adult increased by 2.8% over the same period.

As a result, alcohol has become 3.2% more affordable since 2008⁵.

Expenditure on alcohol⁶ compared to total expenditure⁷

UK household expenditure on alcohol has almost doubled to £19.3 billion in 2017, from £9.7 billion in 1987.

However, alcohol expenditure as a proportion of total household expenditure has fallen to 1.5% over the same period, from 3.2% in 1987.

Average weekly expenditure on alcohol^8​

Average weekly household expenditure on alcohol was £8.70 in 2017/18.​

People in the 65-74 age group spent the most, with an average of £10.60 a week. ​

The lowest weekly expenditure was by those aged 75 or over with an average of £5.60.

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^{1. For more information see Appendix B: Technical Notes}    

^{2. Population estimates used in this calculation are mid-year population estimates for 2017 due to 2018 estimates not having been released when these calculations were done.}

^{3. Based on Alcohol Price Index}  

^{4. Based on Alcohol Price Index Relative to Retail Price Index (all items)}

^{5. Based on Affordability of Alcohol Index}

^{6. Includes purchases at supermarkets, off licences etc.  Excludes purchases in pubs, bars, restaurants etc.}

^{7. Current Prices} 

^{8. Across all households.}