South African household expenditure patterns: alcohol products in 1995 and 2000

This research examines differences in household expenditure on alcohol between 1995 and 2000, the most recent years for which data is publicly available. The analysis reveals that both real expenditure on all alcohol products and the number of households purchasing alcoholic beverages have declined. However, it also shows a general decrease in total expenditure in all households, partly due to the change between 1995 and 2000 in the demographic and socio-economic structure of the households surveyed. Alcohol expenditure, particularly in better-off households, dropped by less than total expenditure, leading to an increase in the share of household expenditure allocated to alcoholic beverage purchases.