Cider overtakes RTDs in NZ with over half a million drinkers
The number of Kiwis drinking cider has almost tripled since 2010, when only 168,000 Kiwi adults (5.3%) drank cider in an
average four weeks—far fewer than the 607,000 drinking ready-to-drink ‘alcopops’ (19.0%).
Now four years on, the number of us drinking cider has just passed the half-million mark and overtaken the number of RTD
drinkers, the latest data from Roy Morgan Research shows.
501,000 Kiwis 18+ drank cider in an average four week period in the year to April 2014 (15.0%), slightly more than
499,000 drinking RTDs (14.9%).
New Zealanders drinking Cider and Pre-Mixed Spirits in an average four-week period:
Cider consumption has grown across all ages, genders and locations, but the sharpest increase has been among young
women. In 2010, 5.3% of women aged 18-24 drank cider in an average four weeks, almost identical to the NZ rate. But
today, a massive 28.5% of these young women drink cider—a more than fivefold increase.
Four years ago, 18-24 year-old men were already over twice as likely as the average Kiwi to drink cider, but their
consumption has still grown from 10.9% to 18.4% in the year to April 2014.
The proportions of 25-34 year-old women and men drinking cider each almost quadrupled over the same period, from 6.4% to
24.5% and from 5.3% to 18.2%, respectively.
Australia has seen a markedly similar trend with the number drinking RTDs dropping by 250,000 between 2010 and 2014 and cider
consumption tipping past two million, up from 596,000 four years ago.
Pip Elliott, General Manager – Roy Morgan Research New Zealand, says:
“The popularity of cider has sky-rocketed over the last five years, while consumption of so-called alcopops has
declined—albeit at a less staggering rate.
“There has been a lot of political discussion over alcohol reforms during this period, specifically around RTDs and
their alcohol content, size, packaging and marketing. Rather than legislate alcohol content and size maximums for RTDs,
early last year the Government called on manufacturers to draw up and adopt a voluntary industry code.
“In Australia, an additional excise was introduced on RTDs and, indeed, some flavoured ciders, but their trends for both
RTD and cider consumption are markedly similar to here.
“Using Roy Morgan’s revolutionary new profiling tool, Helix Personas, we can now delve even deeper into understanding
consumption trends among different types of people.
“Cider marketers may be interested to learn that a massive 34% of individuals in the trendy urban Young and
Platinumpersona drank cider in any given four weeks over the last two years, but those Doing it Tough and in Provincial
Familiesstill overwhelmingly prefer RTDs.”
ends