Life Satisfaction and Alcohol Consumption: An Empirical Analysis of Self-Reported Life Satisfaction and Alcohol Consumption in OECD Countries

Abstract

Since the 1960s the level of alcohol consumption, as well as the drinking patterns, have changed significantly in several OECD countries. From a producer’s point of view, structural demand shift is of particular interest as the observed changes may reflect shifting preferences of consumers. The old, traditional wine-producing countries have experienced a decline in domestic wine consumption, and additionally there has in some cases been a shift towards increased beer consumption, for example in Spain beer consumption is exceeding wine consumption. In the northern European non-wine-producing countries a decline has been observed in the shares of beer and spirits in alcohol consumption. In general, patterns in alcohol consumption may have been in a process of convergence in the OECD countries during recent decades where the level of alcohol consumption — as well as the structure among the various alcoholic beverages — exhibit less variation than the conditions a few decades back in time.