Like most other major wine producing countries, France has seen its per capita consumption decline
sharply over the last half century and latest figures show that the trend is showing no signs of reversal. The latest drop in per capita consumption is the result of a fall away in the number of regular drinkers, defined as daily or almost daily, and the continued rise in the number of marginal drinkers, who drink wine once or twice a week or less.
Research published by FranceAgriMer shows that not only are marginal drinkers increasing in number, but that they are drinking less often than before.
The share of marginal drinkers has been increasing concurrently with a fall in the number of core drinkers.
The latest five year study conducted in 2010 reveals that core drinkers now represent 17% of the
population, compared with 45% of marginal drinkers, with no change in the number of abstainers, at 38%. According to the projection scenario established in the previous study in 2005, core drinkers should continue to decline in number, dropping to 13% in 2015, whilst marginal drinkers should remain unchanged and the number of abstainers increase by two points to 43%.