Prevalence

According to national surveys the proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people reporting risky drinking has declined overall since 2010 (from 48% in 2010 to 33% in 2022-23) [48574][40728]. However, alcohol use continues to cause a heavy burden of harm to individuals and community health and wellbeing [46914].

While drinking patterns can vary greatly [39570], information from large national surveys [48752][40728][39231] indicate that:

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are more likely to abstain from drinking alcohol than non-Indigenous people
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who drink, are more likely to do so at levels that cause harm to their health than non-Indigenous people
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander males are more likely than females to consume alcohol at levels that pose lifetime risk to their health.

Key surveys containing information on prevalence of alcohol use are: the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey (NATSIHS) and the National Drug Strategy Household Survey (NDSHS) which can be found under publications in this section. For a summary of statistical information updated yearly on alcohol use among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, see also our latest Overview of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health status.