Brits spent £27.4bn on alcoholic drinks for home consumption last year, according to the latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) consumer trends report. That figure beat 2023’s £24.1bn and was just shy of the record £27.47bn set during lockdowns in 2022.
Wine and cider led the way with a record £13.1bn, topping 2023’s £12.6bn and 2022’s £11.8bn. Spirits accounted for £7.7bn, while beer sales reached £6.5bn.
However, the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) has warned that rising alcohol duty could undermine this demand. Alcoholic drinks contributed £3 in every £100 of inflation rises in the year to August, following a 14% duty increase over two years. Around three-quarters of the price of an average bottle of Scotch is now tax.
The SWA is calling on Chancellor Rachel Reeves to freeze duty in the Autumn Budget, arguing that each 1% increase adds £90m to government borrowing costs. A freeze could save the public purse more than £300m and support growth across the sector, it says.
The trade body also highlighted that Treasury revenue from spirits duty fell 17% in September compared to last year, leaving receipts £600m short of forecasts. With inflation stuck at 3.8%, the industry says excise duty is one of the few levers government can pull to ease pressure on households and maintain consumer confidence.
