Technical Paper 3:
Preventing Alcohol-related harm in Australia: a window of opportunity
2.4 - Alcohol prices and consumer spending
Table of contents
The real price of alcohol in Australia has remained relatively low compared to other commodities, and in some cases has dropped. For example, a glass of wine costing $1 in June 1999 dropped in real terms to $0.90 in March 2008 (see Fig. 6).
Figure 6: Prices of alcoholic beverages relative to other consumption (June 1999 $1.00), Australia, September 1980 to March 2008
Source: ABS, various years
The affordability of alcohol in Australia today is reflected in the fact that, on average, Australian households are spending proportionately less on alcohol nowadays compared to the amount they spent 20 years ago, despite total per capita consumption of alcohol changing little over the same period. The proportion of average weekly expenditure by Australian households on alcoholic beverages in 1984 was 3.4% ($12.30), compared to 2.6% ($23.32) in 2003–2004 (ABS 2005).[17]