An Observational Study of Off-Premise Alcoholic Beverage Pricing Over Time in New South Wales, Australia

The price of alcohol is a key determinant of purchasing and consumption, yet few studies have assessed alcohol price in Australia. This study aimed to determine: (i) the comparative price of different alcohol product types; (ii) changes in price of alcoholic products over time inclusive of an excise duty indexation; and (iii) the proportion of alcoholic products under different price thresholds.

Data were collected monthly (July-October 2023) from five major off-premise alcohol retailer websites in three New South Wales locations with high alcohol-related mortality and morbidity (capital city, major city and remote location). Multilevel models estimated price differences and the proportion of products under three price thresholds, both by beverage type, subtype, location and over time.

Wine in > 1 L vessels and high-strength cider were the cheapest products. The nominal price of alcohol for beer, spirits and premix increased in August-October compared with July 2023. Only wine fell under the $0.80 threshold, including 6% of all wine and 99.4% of wine in vessel size > 2 L. 14.3% of all wine and 14.6% of cider fell under A$1.30, and 26.4% of wine, 36.8% of cider, and 23.2% of beer fell under $1.80.

Cheap alcohol products are predominantly those that attract ad valorem taxation. Beer, spirits and premixes increased in price likely due to indexation in August 2023, whereas wine and cider became comparatively cheaper over time. Ongoing monitoring of alcohol prices is needed to comprehensively evaluate market responses to alcohol pricing and other supply reduction policies.