8 Surprising Facts About Australian Drinking Habits

Australia, a nation of drunks, right?

Australians are well known as the drunkiest drunks who ever drunked, right?

Carlton Draught / Via youtube.com

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has released some new date on Australian drinking habits and some of it may surprise you.

Here are eight surprising facts about alcohol consumption in Australia.

1. Australians drinking levels per person are the lowest in five decades.

Via giphy.com

2. Australians are drinking less beer.

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"Fifty years ago, beer made up three quarters of all alcohol consumed, but now makes up under half at 41 per cent," ABS spokesperson Louise Gates says.

3. But we're drinking more mid-strength, and less low-strength beer.

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"Over the past decade we have seen the popularity of mid-strength beer grow at the expense of low-strength beer," Ms Gates said. "Mid-strength beer now makes up 19 per cent of all beer consumed in Australia, while low-strength beer accounts for five per cent.

4. But we fucking love wine.

Via giphy.com

"Wine's share has increased over the same period from 12 per cent to 38 per cent."

5. We prefer white to red.

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In the year 2013/14, Australians drank 270 million litres of white wine compared with 190 million litres of red wine in 2013-14, the ABS says.

Olivia Pope would be ASHAMED.

6. While consumption of most types of booze is decreasing, we're drinking more cider.

Via abs.gov.au

7. There were 183.7 million litres of pure alcohol available for consumption from alcoholic beverages in Australia in 2013/14.

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8. That's 9.7 litres of pure alcohol for every Australian aged over 15.

NBC / Via giphy.com

Check out the full study over at the ABS.

Just for funsies, here's Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott smashing a beer in six seconds.

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And here's former PM Bob Hawke, then 82, doing the same thing.

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