Sales of alcoholic beverages (2007)
Region Beer ($ thousands) Wine ($ thousands)
Canada 8,422,697 5,045,594
N.L. 179,862 37,215
P.E.I. 35,010 11,482
Nova Scotia 272,339 97,208
New Brunswick 220,119 62,264
Quebec 2,299,385 1,729,218
Ontario 2,899,955 1,719,389
Manitoba 244,022 104,471
Saskatchewan 237,093 56,374
Alberta 881,852 434,229
British Columbia 1,116,129 781,737
Yukon 14,999 5,753
Nunavut 3,324 261
Northwest Territories 18,610 5,994

$18 billion

Total sales at beer and liquor stores in Canada in the fiscal year ending March 2007, a five per cent increase from the previous year.

47

Beer sales comprised 47 per cent of total alcohol sales in 2007. That's down from 52 per cent in 1997.

2.3 billion

Number of litres of beer Canadians purchased in 2007.

28

Wine accounted for 28 per cent of the alcohol market in 2007, up from 21 per cent in 1997.

71

71 per cent of spirits sold in Canada in 2007 were Canadian spirits, with whisky, scotch and bourbon being the most popular choices.

Beer Prices by Province for Home Consumption (as of April 2008)
Province Price for 12-pack ($)
Ontario 19.95
Quebec 19.27
Alberta 18.42
B.C. 20.70
Manitoba 18.35
Saskatchewan 19.90
Newfoundland 21.27
P.E.I. 19.71
Nova Scotia 20.49
New Brunswick 20.50
Source: Brewers' Association of Canada

$667

The amount, on average, each Canadian spent on alcohol in 2007.

$463

The amount that alcohol abuse costs every Canadian a year, in lost productivity, heath-care costs and crime-related costs, according to a 2008 study by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.

5

Alcohol's ranking on a list of harmful substances, behind heroin, cocaine, barbiturates and street methadone. Cannabis was 11th on the list, compiled by researchers at Bristol University in the U.K.

1,280-1,500

Mothers Against Drunk Driving estimates that there are between 1,280 and 1,500 deaths as a result of impaired driving in Canada every year, or about four every day.

Per Capita Consumption* of Alcoholic Beverages in Litres** (2007)
Region

Total Alcohol (l)

 Beer (l) Wine (l) Spirits (l) Coolers (l)
Canada 115.75 92.04 14.77 5.90 3.04
Ontario 112.64 89.66 14.09 5.78 3.11
Quebec 123.25 98.29 20.62 3.11 1.23
Alberta 130.7 104.00 11.35 9.58 5.77
B.C. 107.58 81.50 15.37 7.23 3.48
Manitoba 105.55 86.39 9.08 7.20 2.88
Saskatchewan 102.58 83.24 7.92 8.03 3.39
Yukon 184.04 151.64 16.61 10.95 4.84
N.W.T./Nunavut 96.32 76.11 6.54 9.15 4.52
Newfoundland 117.76 100.02 5.99 8.48 3.27
Nova Scotia 107.36 86.67 10.10 7.04 3.55
New Brunswick 104.15 86.44 7.79 4.85 5.07
P.E.I. 106.86 85.98 9.29 7.43 4.16

Source: Brewers' Association of Canada *Based on legal drinking age population (19+; 18+ in Que., Man., Alta.). **Litres are litres of alcoholic beverages consumed, not pure alcohol as in other studies.