Alcohol Available for Consumption
Alcohol Available for Consumption
Alcohol Available for Consumption
Data DictionaryData Collection
Data Collection
This data collection provides an overview of the methodology for the collection and processing of the alcohol statistics.
Methodology
Data source
The volume of alcohol available for consumption comes solely from administrative data. No direct surveying occurs. We obtain information from two sources: New Zealand Customs Service (NZCS) and Statistics New Zealand's merchandise trade statistics.
NZCS provides figures on beer, spirits, spirit-based drinks, and wine produced for local consumption on which duty is paid; Statistics New Zealand's merchandise trade statistics provide data on imports less re-exports. We exclude domestically produced beer and wine with less than 1.15 percent alcohol content, and alcoholic beverages produced by private individuals at home.
Accuracy of the data
Alcohol per person
We calculate the volume of pure alcohol available per person by dividing year-ended total alcohol volumes by Statistics New Zealand's quarterly population estimates. Four series are used: estimated population aged 15 years and over, 18 years and over, 20 years and over, and estimated total New Zealand population.
Calculating the average number of standard drinks available
We use the definition on the Health Promotion Agency's website that one standard drink equals 10 grams of pure alcohol to calculate the average number of standard drinks available for consumption per person per day.
Calculating the volume of alcohol available from beer
We calculate the volume of alcohol available from beer using specific conversion factors for each of the five categories NZCS uses to calculate excise duty. To convert the volume of beer available for consumption to the volume of alcohol, we multiply the volume data by the following conversion factors:
| Alcohol content (percent) | Conversion factor |
|---|---|
| Not more than 1.15 | 0.0115 |
| More than 1.15 but not more than 2.50 | 0.01825 |
| More than 2.50 but not more than 4.35 | 0.04 |
| More than 4.35 but not more than 5.00 | 0.04675 |
| More than 5.00 | 0.051 |
Calculating the volume of alcohol available from spirits and spirit-based drinks
The data used to calculate available spirits is expressed in absolute alcohol content. However, data for spirit-based beverages with an alcohol content of less than 23 percent are expressed in litres.
We calculate the volume of alcohol in spirit-based drinks using specific conversion factors for each of the five categories used by NZCS to calculate excise duty. To convert the volume of spirit-based drinks available for consumption to the volume of alcohol, we multiply the volume data by the following conversion factors:
| Alcohol content (percent) | Conversion factor |
|---|---|
| Up to 2.5 | 0.015 |
| More than 2.5 but not more than 6 | 0.045 |
| More than 6 but not more than 9 | 0.08 |
| More than 9 but not more than 14 | 0.11 |
| More than 14 but not more than 23 | 0.18 |
Calculating the volume of alcohol available from wine
To calculate the volume of alcohol available in table wine (that with an alcohol content of not more than 14 percent) and fortified wine (that with an alcohol content of greater than 14 percent) , we multiply the volume data by the following conversion factors:
| Volume of alcohol (percent) | Conversion factor |
|---|---|
| table wine | 0.11 (or 0.0527) |
| fortified wine | 0.18 |
The conversion factor used for table wine depends on the input classification of the data.
More information
See Alcohol availability for more information.
Statistics in this release are produced in accordance with the Official Statistics System principles and protocols for producers of Tier 1 statistics for quality. They conform to the Statistics NZ Methodological Standard for Reporting of Data Quality.
Coverage
National level only