Going dry in July: 1 in 5 drinkers giving up booze for the month

Finder's June 2025 survey found that 1 in 5 Australians (20%) who drink, will not do so this month.

That's 3.2 million Aussies who like a tipple, putting down the bottle

Just over 1 in 10 (11%) will be taking on this no-drink challenge for the first time and a further 9% will go sober in July for a second time.

"Dry July" officially started in July 2008 when three mates wanted to take a break from alcohol and also wanted to raise money for their local hospital, according to the Dry July Foundation website.

Graham Cooke, head of consumer research at Finder said abstaining from drinking is a great opportunity to not only reset your relationship with alcohol, but to reset your spending habits and raise a little money too.

"Many Aussies don't realise how much money quietly disappears on drinks out with friends or a quiet bottle of wine in the evening.

"Cutting out alcohol for a month can easily save you hundreds of dollars – that's money that could go towards paying down debt, building your emergency fund or simply boosting your savings.

"Not only that, but you can raise money for a host of worthy causes just by putting down the grog."

Just over 1 in 10 (11%) will be taking on this no-drink challenge for the first time and a further 9% will go sober in July for a second time.

Women are more likely to take part than men (25% versus 18%) but men are more likely to say they've done it in the past (19% compared to 11%).

Queenslanders have the most repeat participants who are trying Dry July again (17%) whilst NSW and Victorian residents are the most likely to say they've done it before but aren't doing it this time (18%)

Boomer drinkers are the most likely to give a flat no to Dry July (85%), compared to just 39% of Gen Y.

The younger generations are the most keen with 31% of Gen Y and 29% of Gen Z say they will be going booze-free in July.

Cooke said it's great that it's becoming more acceptable to say no to a drink.

"Choosing to skip alcohol, whether for health or for financial reasons, doesn't mean you have to skip the fun.

"Not to mention, your liver will start to repair itself after a couple of weeks – so the longer you stay off the booze, the better."

A growing number of Australians are cutting back on booze as the cost-of-living forces households to reassess their spending habits, new Finder research reveals.

According to a national survey by Finder, 1 in 5 Australians (20%) are drinking 'significantly less' alcohol than they were 12 months ago.

That's a staggering 4.3 million Australians who are putting down the bottle.

Almost half of Australians (45%) say their drinking habits remain unchanged, while 7% admit they're consuming 'significantly more' alcohol than they were a year ago.

Almost 1 in 3 Aussies (28%) say they don't consume alcohol at all.

Finder data shows the average Australian spends $69.40 per week on alcohol - down 35% from $108.20 12 months ago.

That's a staggering 60% reduction on their weekly outlay.

The survey found more women (22%) than men (19%) are drinking significantly less alcohol than they were a year ago.

Cooke said cutting back on booze is one of the fastest and easiest ways people can free up extra cash.

"Drinking is so ingrained in Australian culture but that's starting to change with more people opting out.

"Just $50 a week not spent at the pub quickly adds up to more than $2,600 a year which is a good financial buffer."

If you'd like to join the official Dry July, visit the Foundation's website at www.dryjuly.com.

Will you be taking part in "Dry July" this year?

Yes, and this will be my first time	11%
Yes, and I have previously	9%
No, but I have done / will do something similar (e.g. Dry January)	5%
No, but I have previously	15%
No, I won't	59%
Source: Finder survey of 1,017 respondents, results for the 737 who drink alcohol, June 2025

How much are you spending on alcohol compared to 12 months ago?

About the same	45%
I don't consume alcohol	28%
Significantly less	20%
Significantly more	7%
Source: Finder survey of 1,017 respondents, June 2025