Why Is Alcohol Use Declining In Canada?

As director of the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research at the University of Victoria, I consider this an important development and a topic worth exploring given its implications for health and society more broadly.

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By Timothy Naimi

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Is the decline real?

Based on alcohol sales data (which is more reliable than self-reported survey data), the decline appears to be real. According to Statistics Canada, per capita alcohol sales (the average amount sold per person aged 15 years and older) declined for the fourth consecutive year, from 8.3 litres of ethanol (roughly 487 standard drinks per year) in 2020-21 to 6.8 litres (399 standard drinks) in 2024-25, a rather dramatic decline of 18 per cent.

Alcohol sales have also declined recently in the United States, so this is not a Canada-only phenomenon.

Possible contributing factors

There are many possible contributors to consider, some of which overlap with one another: