British Beer and Pub Association

-UK alcohol consumption per head dipped by 2.1% last year - the first time there has been a fall in annual consumption in six years -Beer remains Britain's favourite alcoholic drink, accounting for 43% of the market -The steady shift away from 'on-trade' sales has continued, with 41 % of Britain's beer now bought in shops and supermarkets. In 2000, the figure was 33% and in 1998, 30%. -The UK Government continues to enjoy very healthy tax revenues from the alcohol sector, with income from excise duties and VAT reaching nearly £14 billion in 2005/2006. Taxes on Britain's beer alone raised £6 billion. On a 'pence-per-pint' basis across the European Union, UK beer is out-taxed only in Finland and Ireland, and is over three times the EU average. Even in high tax Sweden, duty rates don't exceed those in the UK. On the final price of a typical British pint, taxes account for 31%. -Britons still drink less alcohol per head than most other European countries. While a few countries, such as Italy and Greece, record lower per-head consumption, the latest BBPA Statistics Handbook data show that 11 European countries across western and central Europe drink more than the Brits - including the French, Germans, and Spanish.