Roy Morgan Research NZ general manager Pip Elliott said the convenience and comparatively low cost of drinking in an unlicensed space probably contributed to its popularity.
This pattern occurred across the six main alcohol types consumed by New Zealanders, with cider drinkers registering the least overlap between private and public consumption, and vodka having the lowest rate of consumption in both domains.
"Recently, there has been a lot of media commentary about the drinking habits of New Zealanders, expressing concern about the existence of a binge-drinking culture and questioning what can be done to address this," Ms Elliott said.
"Judging by the popularity of off-licence drinking, the cost of alcohol in licensed venues is a deterrent to many Kiwis. This suggests that raising the price of alcohol sold in liquor outlets might have some impact on private drinking, say, a government tax like that imposed on cigarettes.
"However, this would be useless without a strategic communications campaign to educate the public on the dangers of excessive drinking, targeting specific consumer profiles in a way that is meaningful to them," Ms Elliott said.