Control and sale of alcoholic beverages

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Beer and liquor stores and agencies sold $19.4 billion worth of alcoholic beverages during the year ending March 31, 2009, up 3.0% from the previous year.

The growth in dollar value reflected a combination of factors: the increase in sales of imported spirits and beer compared with domestic products, and a 1.0% average increase in alcoholic beverage prices during the fiscal year.

In litres of absolute alcohol, the volume of sales of alcoholic beverages increased 1.6% to 226.4 million litres. A litre of absolute alcohol is a litre of pure alcohol, free of water. The volume of sales of alcoholic beverages in litres of absolute alcohol is calculated by multiplying the sales volume by the percentage of alcohol content.

The net income realized by provincial and territorial liquor authorities, combined with other alcohol-related revenue, such as liquor licenses and permits, reached $5.4 billion in 2009, up 3.6% from the previous year. Saskatchewan, Nunavut and Nova Scotia reported the largest increases.

Beer dominance weakening

Beer stores and agencies sold $8.8 billion worth of beer during the year ending March 31, 2009, up 2.2% from the previous year. Quebec, British Columbia and Alberta were the largest contributors to this growth.

Beer remained by far the most popular alcoholic beverage in terms of both volume and dollar value, although its market share declined.

In 1993, beer peaked at 53% of dollar sales and wine accounted for 18%. By 2009, the market share of beer had declined to 46%, while wine had captured 29%.

In terms of volume, beer stores and agencies sold 2.3 billion litres of beer in 2009, a 0.9% increase from the previous year. On a per capita basis, beer sales have declined 28% from their peak of 115.2 litres in 1976 to 83.5 litres in 2009.

The growth in volume of sales of imported beer continued to outpace that of domestic products. The volume of imported beer sold increased 7.8% in 2009, while sales of domestic products remained unchanged.

By volume, imported beer has more than doubled its market share in the last decade. In 2009, imported beer had captured 13.0% of the beer market in Canada, up from 6.0% in 1999.

Red wines boost wine sales

Wineries and liquor stores and agencies sold $5.7 billion worth of wines during the year ending March 31, 2009, up 4.6% from the previous year.

In terms of volume, wine sales reached 441.4 million litres, a 3.8% increase. The growth in sales of domestic wine outpaced the growth of imported wine sales.

Much of the strength in wine sales can be attributed to the rising popularity of red wines. Sales of red wine, which includes both red and rosé wines, accounted for 64% of the total volume of red and white wine sold.

Dollar sales of red wine have more than doubled (+161%) between 2000 and 2009, while white wine dollar sales rose at a much slower pace (+50%) during the same period. Just over 24% of all red wines sold in Canada were domestic wines, compared with almost 39% of white wines.

Vodka increases spirits sales

Liquor stores and agencies sold $4.9 billion worth of spirits during the year ending March 31, 2009, up 2.9% from the previous year. This gain was due mainly to a 5.6% increase in vodka sales.

The volume of sales of spirits decrease  0.2% in 2009 to 210.3 million litres. Canadian products represented 67.5% of these sales, down from 69.0% in 2008.

Although domestic spirits dominated the spirits market, the sales volume of imported spirits increased 4.7% to 68.4 million litres. Sales of Canadian spirits declined 2.4% to 141.9 million litres.

Whisky-type products, such as whisky, scotch and bourbon, were still the largest share, accounting for 27% of all total spirits sales in 2009. Just over 67% of these sales were Canadian products.

Available on CANSIM: tables 183-0006 and 183-0015 to 183-0020.

Definitions, data sources and methods: survey number 1726.

Data tables on sales of alcoholic beverages are available from the National economic accounts module of our website.

Data are also available through custom and special tabulation. For more information on products and services, contact Client Services (613-951-0767; fe-pid-dipinfo@statcan.gc.ca), Public Sector Statistics Division.

For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact Jo Ann MacMillan (613-951-0171; joann.macmillan@statcan.gc.ca), Public Sector Statistics Division.