Alcohol sales in Canada fell to record lows in 2024-25, with beer, wine, and spirits all down, while cannabis sales continue to climb.
Alcohol Sales Hit Record Decline
Canada’s love for a drink may be fading—at least for now. Statistics Canada reports that alcohol sales dropped for the fourth straight year in 2024-25, marking the largest annual decline since tracking began in 2004.
From April 1, 2024, to March 31, 2025, Canadians bought 2,898 million litres of alcohol—a 3% drop from the previous year. The total value of alcoholic beverages sold fell 1.6% to $25.8 billion, despite prices inching up by the same percentage.
Beer Still Tops, But Sales Slide
Beer remained the most popular drink, accounting for roughly a third of all alcohol sales. Yet, beer sales by volume sank 3.8% to 1,876 million litres, marking the ninth straight year of decline. Dollar-wise, beer revenue dropped 1.6% to $9.1 billion.
Canadian breweries are still adjusting to U.S. tariffs on aluminum and steel, which disrupted beer can production. Consumers’ growing “Buy Canadian” mindset also played a role, shifting preferences toward domestic brews.
Wine Takes a Hit, Especially Imports
Imported wine sales fell sharply for the first time ever, dropping 3.9%. Overall wine revenue slid 2.2% to $7.7 billion. Domestic wine sales, however, showed modest growth, climbing 1.9% to $2.3 billion.
Ontario and Quebec experienced the steepest declines in imported wine purchases, at 5.3% and 4.3%, respectively. In total, wine volume dropped to 460 million litres for the fourth year in a row.
Spirits Also Down, With Regional Shifts
Spirits sales fell 3.2% to $6.7 billion, with whisky, vodka, and liqueurs leading the pack. By volume, sales slid 4.4% to 177 million litres. Interestingly, spirits still dominate in certain regions: 44.1% of sales in the Northwest Territories and 30.8% in British Columbia.
Ciders and Coolers Buck the Trend
The only bright spot? Ciders and coolers. Sales climbed 4.8% to $2.4 billion, with nine provinces and two territories seeing growth. However, British Columbia and Yukon saw small declines in this category. Overall, 385 million litres of ciders and coolers were sold, up 2.2% from the previous year.
Cannabis Sales Climb as Alcohol Declines
While booze loses ground, cannabis is thriving. Recreational cannabis sales grew 11.5% to $2.5 billion in 2024-25. Total cannabis revenue across retail outlets rose 6.1%, reaching $5.5 billion.
Yukon led per-capita sales at $384 per person, while Quebec lagged at $105, reflecting tighter restrictions on vaping, edibles, and topicals during the year.
Canada’s drinking habits are clearly shifting. Alcohol sales are falling across almost every category, while cannabis continues its upward climb, showing a changing landscape in the country’s leisure choices.
