Sales of alcohol in pubs and bars are falling dramatically, new figures have revealed

Sales of alcohol in pubs and bars across Ireland have fallen by nearly 7% over the last year, new figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) have revealed. 

According to the Retail Sales Index for May, the decrease was the largest annual drop across all sectors, followed by department stores and electrical goods. 

A detailed analysis shows the value of sales recorded in pubs and bars increased by 2.5% in May, compared to April while There was a decrease of 5.2% compared to May 2024.

In contrast to the small month-on-month increase (1.2%) in the volume of sales during May, the CSO figures show there was an annual decrease of 6.8% - suggesting a major change in people's drinking habits.

READ MORE: Have you seen Sophie? Gardaí concerned for welfare of missing 17-year-old

Across all sectors, the volume of retail sales decreased by 0.6% in May compared to April. However, an annual increase of 1.6% was noted. The month-on-month decrease may be related to the Easter Holidays at the end of April.

According to the CSO, the largest annual volume growth was recorded in Furniture & Lighting (+10%), Hardware, Paints & Glass (+5.4%), Pharmaceuticals, Medical & Cosmetic Articles (+4.2%), Motor Trades (+3.9%), and Other Retail Sales (+3.9%).

The highest annual volume declines were in Bars (-6.8%), Department Stores (-4.2%), and Electrical Goods (-2.7%).