The Daily — Control and sale of alcoholic beverages, April 1, 2020 to March 31, 2021 (2024)

Archived Content

Information identified as archived is provided for reference, research or recordkeeping purposes. It is not subject to the Government of Canada Web Standards and has not been altered or updated since it was archived. Please "contact us" to request a format other than those available.

This page has been archived on the Web.

Released:2022-02-15

Alcohol sales increase despite COVID-19pandemic-related restrictions and closures

Liquor authorities sold the equivalent of9.7standard alcoholic beverages a week per Canadian of legal drinking age in2020/2021, totalling3,180million litres. This was up2.1% from a year earlier. Beer remained the alcoholic beverage of choice for Canadians, but it continued to lose market share to spirits, ciders and coolers.

Overall, $25.5billion worth of alcoholic beverages were sold in the fiscal year ending March31,2021, up4.2% from a year earlier. This was the largest sales increase in over a decade. Most of the liquor authorities attributed this growth to the pandemic and its impact on purchasing habits. Liquor authorities reported a smaller number of transactions with bigger basket sizes, more local liquor spending as a result of travel restrictions, and increased purchases for off-premise consumption that outweighed the sales declines in the hospitality sector. The gain in sales of alcoholic beverages was also partially driven by inflation, which rose2.1% for alcoholic beverages purchased from stores from March2020to March2021.

Net income and other government revenue derived from the control and sale of alcoholic beverages, including excise taxes, retail sales taxes, specific taxes on alcohol, and licence and permit revenues, increased5.2% to $13.5billion.

Taste for spirits, ciders and coolers continues to grow

While beer remained the alcoholic beverage of choice for Canadians in2020/2021, accounting for36.0% of total alcohol sales, it lost2.1% of its market share. Wine, which accounted for31.4% of total sales, also lost market share (-0.6%). The lost market share of beer and wine was gained by spirits (+0.9%) and ciders and coolers (+1.8%). Spirits represented25.4% of total alcohol sales, while ciders and coolers accounted for7.2%.

Beer sales per person reach new low

Total beer sales by liquor stores, agencies and other retail outlets fell1.4% to $9.2billion in the2020/2021fiscal year, the second consecutive annual decrease.

By volume, beer sales declined2.3% to2,120million litres, which is equivalent to3.9standard bottles of beer per week, per person of legal drinking age. This was a new all-time low for beer volume sales per person since Statistics Canada began tracking alcohol sales in1949.

Wine still drink of choice in Quebec and British Columbia

Canadians of legal drinking age bought the equivalent of2.5glasses of wine per week in2020/2021.

Wine sales rose2.1% to $8.0billion in2020/2021, a slower pace than the5.2% increase in the previous year.

While beer was the alcoholic beverage of choice across much of Canada in2020/2021, wine claimed the top spot in Quebec (43.5% of total sales) and British Columbia (33.4%). Residents of the Northwest Territories (14.5%) were least likely to buy wine.

Red was the wine of choice for just over half of Canadians who bought wine (53.3%), followed by white wine (33.2%); sparkling wine (6.5%); and rosé, fortified and other wines (7.0%).

By volume, wine sales increased2.0% to537million litres.

Gin and spirits gain popularity

Canadians of legal drinking age bought the equivalent of2.6shots of spirits per week in2020/2021. By volume, spirits sold increased5.7% to191.7million litres.

Over the past decade, gin was the spirit with the highest growth. From2010/2011to2020/2021, the volume of gin sales rose81.8%. Quebec was the largest contributor to increased gin sales, followed by Ontario.

Spirit sales rose8.0% from a year earlier to $6.5billion in the fiscal year ending March31,2021. This was the largest increase in spirit sales since1983.

Spirits were the biggest seller in the Northwest Territories (45.7% of total sales) and accounted for the smallest share of sales in neighbouring Nunavut (9.6%). Overall, sales of Canadian spirits increased5.7%, while imported spirit sales rose9.9%.

Nationally, whisky (29.6%), vodka (24.6%) and rum (14.9%) were the most popular spirits sold in2020/2021, accounting for over two-thirds (69.0%) of total spirit sales.

Sales of ciders, coolers and other refreshment beverages have largest increase of any beverage category since1949

Canadians bought $1.8billion worth of ciders and coolers in2020/2021, up40.2% from the previous fiscal year. This was the largest increase of any beverage category since Statistics Canada began tracking alcohol sales in1949. Sales grew in all provinces and territories.

Residents of Yukon (12.3% of total sales) were the most likely to buy ciders and coolers, while those of Quebec (1.6%) were the least likely to do so.

In terms of volume,330.5million litres of ciders and coolers were sold in2020/2021, up39.5% from the previous fiscal year.

Products

The infographic "Alcohol Sales in Canada, April2020to March2021," which is part of Statistics Canada – Infographics (Catalogue number11-627-M), is now available.

Contact information

For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact us (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; infostats@statcan.gc.ca) or Media Relations (statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca).