Australians are steering away from sweetened drinks, with consumption falling sharply over the past decade, according to new figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
James Eynstone-Hinkins, ABS head of health statistics, said: ‘Today’s data gives us a comprehensive snapshot of Australia’s nutrition, with new insights into what we’re eating, our energy intakes and the types of diets we follow.
‘For example, the proportion of people who drank sweetened beverages fell from 49.2 per cent in 1995 to 42.2 per cent in 2011–12 and then to 28.9 per cent in 2023. Nearly three in four children drank sweetened beverages in 1995. This fell to one in four children in 2023.’
ABS data show the trend is most pronounced among children aged 2–17 years, with consumption dropping from 72.0 per cent in 1995 to 25.0 per cent in 2023. Among adults, the proportion fell from 42.3 per cent to 29.9 per cent over the same period. The ABS counts both sugar‑sweetened and artificially sweetened drinks, including diet varieties, as “sweetened beverages”.
“Discretionary choices” — foods and drinks high in energy, saturated fat, salt or sugar and low in essential nutrients — provided 31.3 per cent of Australians’ daily energy intake in 2023, down from 35.4 per cent in 2011–12, the ABS reported.
‘The leading foods contributing to discretionary energy came from Cereal-based mixed dishes, which includes foods like takeaway burgers and pizza. This was also the most popular food group – eaten by more than half, or 52.0 per cent, of people on a typical day.
‘Cereal-based mixed dishes contributed to 19.6 per cent of protein intake, 16.8 per cent of carbohydrate intake, and 17.0 per cent of fat intake, more than any other food group,’ said Mr Eynstone-Hinkins.
The survey highlights wider pressures on household diets. Almost one in eight (13.2 per cent) households experienced food insecurity in the past 12 months, including 34.0 per cent of lone parent families and 27.8 per cent of group households, according to the ABS.
One in four people aged 15 and over (24.9 per cent) reported following a diet. Among those dieting, males were most likely to follow an energy restriction diet (34.8 per cent), while females were most likely to follow a food avoidance diet (47.1 per cent). Overall, 7.1 per cent of people aged two and over avoided certain foods due to allergies, and 5.3 per cent of people aged 15 and over identified as vegetarian or vegan.
On nutrients, free sugars made up 8.2 per cent of total energy intake — within the World Health Organization recommendation of less than 10 per cent — average sodium intake was just under 2,400 mg (about a teaspoon of salt), and average adult caffeine intake rose from 158 mg in 2011–12 to 186 mg in 2023.
The ABS said food and nutrient intakes are based on reported food and beverages only, excluding supplements. Full results are available from the National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey topic on the ABS website.
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics.
