The Fiji STEPS Survey 2025 has found that the Central and Eastern Divisions record the highest levels of recent alcohol consumption in the country, raising concerns for public health planners.
According to the survey, the Central Division has the highest proportion of people who consumed alcohol in the past 30 days, at 34.8 per cent.
Less than half of respondents in the division (46.6 per cent) identified as abstainers, while 18.5 per cent reported drinking alcohol in the past 12 months.
The Eastern Division follows closely, with 32.3 per cent of respondents saying they drank alcohol in the past 30 days.
It also recorded the lowest proportion of abstainers nationwide, at 43.7 per cent, alongside 24.0 per cent who consumed alcohol in the past year.
In comparison, the Western Division recorded the highest level of abstinence (56.6 per cent), with 28.3 per cent reporting alcohol consumption in the past 30 days.
The Northern Division showed a more balanced pattern, with 29.8 per cent drinking alcohol in the past month and 48.9 per cent identifying as abstainers.
Results also show a clear gender gap in alcohol consumption, with men significantly more likely than women to drink alcohol, particularly in recent months.
The survey indicates that 43.6 per cent of men reported consuming alcohol in the past 30 days, compared with just 17.7 per cent of women. Men also recorded a much lower rate of abstinence, with 39.1 per cent identifying as non-drinkers.
In contrast, women were far more likely to abstain from alcohol. The data shows that 64.0 per cent of women reported not drinking alcohol at all, while 18.3 per cent said they had consumed alcohol in the past 12 months.
Overall, just over half of Fiji’s population (51.1 per cent) were classified as abstainers. About 17.8 per cent reported drinking alcohol in the past year, while 31.1 per cent said they had consumed alcohol in the past 30 days.
