The Government has confirmed the alcohol levy for 2026/27, maintaining funding for services that reduce alcohol-related harm across Aotearoa New Zealand.
For 2026/27, the levy will be set at $17.135 million, up from approximately $16.62 million in 2025/26. This is a CPI-driven adjustment to maintain the real value of the levy and support continuity of existing programmes.
Levy funding is ring-fenced and directly reinvested into services that prevent and reduce alcohol-related harm.
The levy supports a range of frontline services and initiatives, including:
- community-based programmes
- screening and brief interventions
- FASD prevention and support
- impaired driving prevention, interlock pilots, and targeted health promotion campaigns
Deputy Director-General of Public Health & Mental Health, Dr Andrew Old, says the update helps ensure these services remain available.
‘This update provides stability for services delivering practical support in communities and helps ensure they can continue their work.’
For most consumers, the impact on price is expected to be negligible, only a few cents per product at most, while supporting services that reduce harm across communities.
