According to recent research released by Roy Morgan Between October 2014 and September 2015, 6.2% of Australians 14+ ate turkey in an average seven days. Over the course of this 12-month period, there were discernible peaks and troughs: with January being the biggest turkey-eating month (12.0%) and August being the off-season (3.4%).
“Along with pudding and prawns, turkey is one of the centrepieces of the classic, traditional Christmas lunch or dinner. Although many Australians choose not to have traditional festive feasts, our data shows quite clearly that many do – and many enjoy the leftovers for some time afterwards. When asked in January this year if they’d eaten turkey in the last seven days, 12% of the population said yes; whereas the overall average for the 12 months to September 2015 is a more modest 6.2%.” Andrew Price, General Manager, Roy Morgan Research commented.

Mr. Price explained that given that January is peak turkey-eating season, we profiled the Australians who reported eating turkey during January 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015, and found that they tend to be older, Christian, and born in Australia. Aussies aged between 50 and 64 years old are noticeably more likely than other age groups to eat turkey in January, with 16.2% of them tucking in to the big bird in any seven-day period during the month. Only the 65+ demographic (14.2%) comes close. Younger Aussies are less likely to eat turkey during the festive season, bottoming out among the 18-24 age bracket (5.3%). Price went on to point out that a slightly higher proportion of Australian-born Aussies (13.2%) eat turkey during January than Australians born in the UK (11.6%), while people identifying as Presbyterian (15.4%), Anglican (13.9%) and Methodist (14.0%) also come in above-average for seasonal turkey-eating compared with those of other faiths.
“However, like many meats, turkey doesn’t come cheap. With the price of a bird costing up to (or upwards of) $50 at the supermarket, it not surprising that people from the wealthier end of the socio-economic spectrum are more likely to be eating turkey at this time of year than less well-off folks. The fact that Australians of Christian faith, are more likely than others to opt for turkey around Christmas is also noteworthy, suggesting that their festive celebrations are traditional in more ways than one.” Mr. Price commented.