Beer remains the alcoholic drink of choice for Canadians in terms of both volume and dollar value, but its dominance continued to decline last year as consumers turned more to wine.
Statistics Canada said Canada’s beer and liquor stores and agencies sold more than $18 billion worth of alcoholic beverages during the fiscal year ending March 31, 2007.
That’s 4.9% more than the year before and the fastest rate of growth in sales since 2003.
The agency said the rise in part reflects a 1.4% increase in the population 15 and over as well as a 0.9% average increase in alcoholic beverage prices.
In litres of absolute alcohol, the volume of sales of alcoholic beverages increased 3.1% to 218.7 million litres.
In 1997, beer accounted for 52% of dollar sales, spirits 27% and wine 21%; by 2007, beer had declined to 47% and spirits slipped to 25%, while wine captured 28% of the market.
Alcoholic beverage sales on a per capita basis, for Canadians 15 and over, amounted to $667 in 2006-07, up $22 from the previous year.
The net income realized by provincial and territorial liquor authorities, combined with other alcohol-related revenue such as liquor licences and permits, hit $5 billion, up 5.2%.
The Yukon, Alberta and Saskatchewan reported the largest increases.
