Australian Households' Purchasing Patterns for Alcoholic Drinks: A Multinomial Discrete Choice Modelling Approach

ABSTRACT Research Question/Issue Using data from the Australian Household Expenditure Survey, this paper examines household alcohol purchasing patterns across beer, wine, spirits, and their combinations. A multinomial logit model relates these patterns to socioeconomic and demographic characteristics, using average marginal effects to evaluate household differences. Research Findings/Insights The analysis reveals substantial heterogeneity across households. Higher income decreases the probability of recording no alcohol purchase and increases participation in most beverage categories. Education strongly drives wine purchasing, while male‐headed households lean toward beer. Larger households favor spirits combinations, whereas single‐parent households and those with young children are more likely to record no alcohol purchases. Practitioner/Policy Implications These results provide a descriptive foundation for identifying specific population groups and consumption periods. These insights are directly relevant for designing beverage‐specific harm‐reduction communication strategies and shaping future public policy evaluations.