Examining how the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic affected alcohol use in different socio-demographic groups in an Australian representative longitudinal sample

Background and aims

Research examining how alcohol consumption changed across different socio-demographic groups during the pandemic has largely relied upon convenience samples recruited after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this study was to measure whether the pandemic shifted alcohol consumption in different gender, age and income groups in Australia.

Design, setting and participants

This was a longitudinal study using four waves (2017–20) of the annual Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey to compare pre-pandemic consumption (2017–19) with consumption in 2020. A total of 11 636 participants in Australia aged 15 years and older took part.

Measurements

Participants were asked annually about their alcohol consumption, demographics and income.

Findings

There was a statistically significant increase in alcohol consumption during the first year of the pandemic [incident rate ratio (IRR) = 1.1, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.1, 1.1], largely driven by changes in drinking frequency. We found a significant difference in consumption change from pre-COVID-19 to during COVID-19 for participants aged under 55 years compared with those aged over 55 years. In addition, participants aged 15–34 reported less alcohol consumption during the pandemic than those aged 35 years and older. No significant differences were identified across gender and income groups.

Conclusions

Alcohol consumption in Australia increased during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Survey participants aged 55 years and over seemed to be the least impacted by the public health measures introduced during the pandemic, such as the closure of licensed premises.