Alcohol Consumption Declines as Younger Generations Cut Back, Study Finds
While overall alcohol use has decreased, older Americans continue to drink at higher rates than before the pandemic.
Alcohol consumption in the United States has seen its first significant decline since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a recent study. However, the trend is not uniform across all age groups, with younger generations, particularly Gen Z, leading the decrease while older demographics maintain elevated drinking levels.
The study, conducted by Dr. Brian P. Lee from USC Los Angeles, found that the percentage of Americans who consume alcohol at all fell by 2% between 2022 and 2024. Heavy drinking, defined as five or more drinks daily for men and four or more for women, or 15 drinks weekly for men and eight for women, dropped by an even larger margin of 8% during the same period.
Despite this recent downturn, overall alcohol consumption in 2024 remained higher than pre-pandemic levels. A 2024 study by Lee had previously indicated a roughly 3% increase in alcohol drinkers between 2018 and 2022, rising from 66.34% to 69.3%.
Generational Trends in Drinking Habits
The study highlights a notable generational divide in drinking habits. Individuals aged 18 to 29, belonging to Generation Z, reported a 5% decrease in overall alcohol use from 2022 to 2024. Millennials (ages 30 to 49) experienced a significant 17% reduction in heavy drinking during the same timeframe.
In contrast, Baby Boomers and Generation X continued to drink at rates at or above pre-pandemic levels. Heavy drinking in these older groups saw a 36% increase between 2018 and 2024, with the number of overall drinkers climbing by 4%.
Dr. Lee expressed concern over the rising heavy drinking rates among older adults, noting their increased vulnerability to alcohol-related health issues, such as liver conditions, which often become more pronounced starting in their 50s. He pointed out that this generation grew up in an era where moderate daily drinking was normalized for adults, underscoring the need for continued public health messaging about the effects of alcohol consumption.
Lee also reported observing a rise in patients with liver conditions at his practice since the pandemic began. Experts, including Dr. Jagpreet Chhatwal of Massachusetts General Hospital, acknowledge the downward trend as encouraging but caution against viewing it as a definitive victory, given that overall consumption rates remain high.
