The amount of dairy and meat substitutes purchased from Australian supermarkets and other food retailers jumped another 14 per cent in 2020-21, following a 14 per cent increase between 2018-19 and 2019-20.
Australian Bureau of Statistics health statistics spokesperson Paul Atyeo said the per person apparent consumption of dairy and meat substitutes was 20 grams a day in 2020-21, up a total of 29pc from 15g a day in 2018-19.
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"About 17 grams of apparent consumption per person per day came from dairy milk substitutes like soy milk or almond milk. This is equivalent to about half a metric cup per week.
"Consumption of dairy milk substitutes rose 4 grams per day between 2018-19 and 2020-21 mirroring a 4 grams per day fall in dairy milk over the same two year period."
Almond milk had a particularly rapid increase in apparent consumption, up 31pc in the last two years, while soy milk increased by 16pc throughout the same period.
Of other product categories which had increases, the most significant was non-alcoholic beverages which rose 7pc between 2018-19 and 2020-21.
The increase was driven by diet soft drinks, up 21pc, and packaged water, 8pc.
In contrast, sugar sweetened soft drinks have remained relatively flat, although they still make up most, 61pc, of the soft drink volume.
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