Alcohol consumption rate holds at record low
A new Gallup poll finds 54% of U.S. adults drink alcohol, unchanged from 2025 but the lowest rate since polling began in 1939.
The percentage of American adults who consume alcohol has stabilized at a historic low. A new Gallup poll finds 54% of Americans drink alcohol, unchanged from the prior year and the lowest reading since the firm began tracking in 1939.
This halts a multiyear decline that has significantly impacted beer and spirit sales. The drop since 2023 was seen across most demographic groups, including gender, race, and age. Gallup noted none of these groups saw significant changes during the last year.
Industry Pivot and the New Normal
Declining alcohol consumption has forced beer and spirits companies to pivot. A growing number of businesses have added more booze-free alternatives, stepped-up innovation, and reviewed which alcohol brands generate the most positive attention.
Gallup’s new results could indicate that a drinking rate hovering above 50% is the new normal. This could be welcome stability to alcohol companies after years of changes. They’re not out of the woods yet, with several in the midst of restructuring initiatives.
Because of the rise of nonalcoholic drinks, Gallup included questions about these alternatives in its survey for the first time. Among both drinkers and nondrinkers, 17% of respondents consumed nonalcoholic beer, wine, or spirits instead of an alcoholic drink at some point in the last year. This includes 20% of drinkers and 14% of nondrinkers.
Beverage Preferences and Consumption Habits
Americans who drink alcohol reported having an average of 3.2 drinks in the past week. This is up slightly from 2.8 last year but down sharply from the average of 3.9 during the last five years.
Gallup’s results show drinkers choose beer most often, followed by liquor and wine. The specific breakdown is as follows:
| Beverage | Preference Among Drinkers | |
|---|---|---|
| Beer | 36% | |
| Liquor | 32% | |
| Wine | \( | 30% |
Spirits volumes surpassed wine for the first time this summer. This reflects how consumer preferences are shifting toward liquor and ready-to-drink beverages.
Health Perceptions Drive Change
Many alcohol companies have pointed to increased interest in health and wellness as a key reason for alcohol’s decline. In Gallup’s study, more than half of respondents said having one to two alcoholic drinks a day is bad for their health. This is a stark contrast from 25 years ago.
In 2001, just 27% of respondents considered drinking bad for their health, and 22% said it was good for them. The rise in perception of alcohol’s impact on health could partially be due to increased awareness. Eighty-six percent of respondents said they have heard about recent studies on the issue.
The amount of Americans who say they drink too much has also fallen, reaching a new low at 13%. The highest year for reported over-drinking was in 1989 at 35%. The results were gathered among adults 18 and older between July 1 and 19.
