Health Fact Sheets
Heavy drinking, 2018

Release date: June 25, 2019

In 2018, 19.1% of Canadians aged 12 and older (roughly 5.9 million people) reported alcohol consumption that classified them as heavy drinkers.Note 1 The proportion of people classified as heavy drinkers remained stable between 2017 and 2018 (19.5%, 19.1%).Note 2

Overall, males were more likely (23.5%) to report heavy drinking than females (14.8%) in 2018. The highest proportion of heavy drinking for both sexes was among those aged 18 to 34. In this age group, 33.5% of males and 23.8% of females were heavy drinkers (Chart 1).

Chart 1 Heavy drinking, by age group and sex, population aged 12 and older, Canada, 2018

Data table for Chart 1 
Data table for Chart 1
Table summary
This table displays the results of Data table for Chart 1. The information is grouped by Age group (appearing as row headers), Percent and Confidence Interval, calculated using Lower 95% limit and Upper 95% limit units of measure (appearing as column headers).
Age group Percent Confidence Interval
lower 95% limit upper 95% limit
Males
Total
(12 years and older)
23.5 22.6 24.4
12 to 17 years 2.9Note E: Use with caution 1.9 3.9
18 to 34 years 33.5 31.2 35.9
35 to 49 years 28.4 26.3 30.4
50 to 64 years 23.7 22.0 25.5
65 years and older 10.6 9.6 11.6
Females
Total
(12 years and older)
14.8 14.1 15.4
12 to 17 years 4.0Note E: Use with caution 2.8 5.3
18 to 34 years 23.8 22.0 25.7
35 to 49 years 17.5 16.0 19.0
50 to 64 years 14.2 12.9 15.5
65 years and older 4.6 4.0 5.3

Despite the fact it is illegal to sell alcohol to anyone under 18 in Canada,Note 3Note 4 25.6% of Canadian youth aged 12 to 17 reported consuming an alcoholic beverage in the previous 12 months. Among those who did drink, 37.8% of them did so at least once a month. Overall, 3.4% of youth were classified as heavy drinkers, which has remained consistent since 2015.

The proportion of residents who reported heavy drinking in the past 12 months was lower than the national average (19.1%) in:

The proportion of residents who reported heavy drinking in the past 12 months was higher than the national average in:

The proportion of residents who were classified as heavy drinkers was about the same as the national average in all other provinces. Canadians residing in rural areas were more likely to report heavy drinking (22.4%) compared to those living urban areas (18.4%).

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About heavy drinking

Excessive alcohol consumption can have serious health and social consequences, especially when combined with other behaviours such as driving while intoxicated. For males, heavy drinking refers to having consumed five or more drinks, per occasion, at least once a month during the past year. For females, heavy drinking refers to having consumed four or more drinks, per occasion, at least once a month during the past year.

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References

Hindmarch I., J. Bhatti, G. Starmer, D. Mascord, J. Kerr, and N. Sherwood. 1992. The effects of alcohol on the cognitive function of males and females and on skills relating to car driving. Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical & Experimental. Vol.7, no. 2. (accessed February 25, 2019).

Hotton, T., and D. Haans. 2004. Alcohol and drug use in early adolescence. Health Reports. Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 82-003. Vol. 15, no. 3. (accessed February 25, 2019).

Pérez, C. 2005. Passengers of intoxicated drivers. Health Reports. Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 82-003. Vol. 16, no. 2. (accessed February 25, 2019).

Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC). 2015. The Chief Public Health Officer’s Report on the State of Public Health in Canada 2015: Alcohol Consumption in Canada. Canada. (accessed February 25, 2019).

Tjepkema, M. 2004. Alcohol and illicit drug dependence. Health Reports. Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 82-003. Vol. 15 (Supplement). (accessed February 25, 2019).

Wilkins, K. 2002. Moderate alcohol consumption and heart disease. Health Reports. Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 82-003. Vol. 14, no. 1. (accessed February 25, 2019).

Data

Additional data from the Canadian Community Health Survey are available from table 13-10-0096-01.

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