Data in Review: Undergraduate Catches Error in Beer Consumption Figure

An editorial written by Australian undergraduate Luke Mansillo to the Economist aptly drew attention to somewhat misleading figures regarding Australia’s beer consumption used in an Economist article published May 5^th.  According to the May 5^th article, beer consumption in Australia has plummeted to just 4.5 litres (7.5 pints) per person annually, a 65-year low.  Howeve, in his editorial, Mansillo points out that, while Australian beer consumption is in fact at a 65-year low, the figure used in the article was litres of pure alcohol content.  According to Mansillo, the figure in terms of volume is much higher at 98 litres (172 pints) per person annually.  The Economist has subsequently clarified this in a correction in which both figures are included.