In 2025, Gallup reported that only 54% of U.S. adults say they drink alcohol, marking the lowest level in nearly 90 years of research on American drinking habits.
This shift reflects a growing cultural and health-conscious movement, where for the first time, a majority of Americans (53%) believe that even moderate alcohol consumption is harmful.
A Sharp Decline After Decades of Stability
From 1997 to 2023, Gallup consistently found that at least 60% of Americans reported drinking alcohol. The recent three-year decline is striking: 62% in 2023, 58% in 2024, and now 54% in 2025. Historically, consumption dipped below 60% on fewer than ten occasions, with lows of 58% in Gallup’s first survey in 1939 and 55% in 1958. Peaks occurred between 1974 and 1981, when 68–71% of Americans reported drinking.
Who Is Driving the Change?
The decline is not uniform across demographics.
- Gender: Women saw a sharp drop of 11 percentage points (to 51%), compared to a smaller 5-point decline among men (to 57%).
- Race: Alcohol use decreased significantly among non-Hispanic white adults (down 11 points), while it remained steady around 50% among Black adults.
- Age: Young adults (18–34) are now drinking less than middle-aged and older adults, with consumption among youth falling from 59% in 2023 to 50% today. This trend reflects both generational shifts in lifestyle choices and greater concern about long-term health effects.
- Politics: Republicans reported the steepest decline, dropping 19 points to 46%, while Democrats held steady at 61%.
Perceptions of Health Risks Are Driving Behavior
Perhaps the most telling statistic is that 53% of Americans now believe moderate drinking—defined as one or two drinks per day—is bad for your health, compared with only 28% in 2018. This dramatic shift aligns with recent global health studies warning that no level of alcohol consumption is entirely safe. Only 6% of respondents still believe moderate drinking is beneficial, down from higher levels seen in the early 2000s.
Young adults are leading this change in perception: nearly two-thirds of them now believe that drinking is harmful, a significant increase from two decades ago when concerns were much lower. Women also express more concern than men, with 60% versus 47% viewing moderate drinking as unhealthy.
Shifting Drinking Patterns Among Consumers
Not only are fewer Americans drinking, but those who do are drinking less frequently.
- A record-low 24% of drinkers said they consumed alcohol in the past 24 hours.
- 40% reported it had been more than a week since their last drink, the highest level since 2000.
- The average number of drinks consumed per week dropped to 2.8, down from 3.8 a year ago and far below the 5.1 recorded in 2003.
Preferences among drinkers remain relatively stable:
- Beer continues to lead at 37%.
- Spirits (30%) are nearly tied with wine (29%), a shift from earlier decades when wine was more competitive with beer.
- Gender differences remain stark: men prefer beer (52%), while women overwhelmingly prefer wine (44%).
A Turning Point for the Alcohol Industry?
Gallup’s findings signal a pivotal moment. For decades, alcohol consumption in the U.S. was relatively steady. Now, cultural, political, and scientific factors are combining to reshape attitudes and behaviors.
The alcohol industry faces growing challenges, similar to what the tobacco industry experienced in the 1960s when public health warnings triggered a long-term decline in smoking. If the medical consensus that “no amount of alcohol is safe” gains further traction, Americans’ drinking habits may continue to decline.
What remains uncertain is whether this marks the beginning of a sustained downward trend or a temporary shift driven by recent headlines and health reports. Either way, the data suggests that American society is entering a new era in its complex relationship with alcohol.
Source: WineNews