Number of people who drink alcohol is at its lowest for nearly a century
Just a few years ago, if someone told you they don't think, you'd assume one of three things. They're either religious, a former addict or pregnant.
Even today, a certain amount of judgement often exists when a person shares they're sober by choice, and yet more and more people now fall into this category.
An estimated 17.5 million people are currently believed to be taking part in Dry January and recent figures suggest many of these people will continue staying off the booze for more months to come.
In fact, a 2025 poll by Gallup found that the number of adults who drink alcohol had fallen to a 90-year low in the US, with just 54 percent considering themselves a drinker. In 2024, that number was 58 percent, down from 62 percent in 2023.
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Although these figures specifically refer to people in the States, the same trend can be seen here in the UK, with around one in five adults in the UK not drinking any alcohol, according to Alcohol Change UK.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the world in Australia, researchers at Flinders University discovered that Aussies born between 1997 and 2012 — AKA Gen Z — were 17 times more likely to avoid alcohol compared to Boomers, born between 1946 and 1965.
Interestingly, even when the younger generations do choose to drink alcohol, they are drinking significantly less than their elders.
This trend is echoed in the UK, even in the midst of British binge drinking culture, where the average number of drinks per person fell to 10.2 in 2024, down from 14 at the start of the millennium, research company IWSR reports.
According to Marten Lodewijks, president of IWSR, this is down to the British population getting older.
"The population is ageing and older consumers physiologically can’t drink as much," he told the Financial Times.
"There are also elements of health consciousness, and the cost of living is up, so people just can’t afford to ‘drink out’ as much."
Meanwhile, charity Drinkaware released data ahead of the festive period which revealed that nearly three quarters (73 percent) of UK adults were planning to moderate their drinking over Christmas.
"With nearly three in four of us planning ahead this Christmas, this balanced approach to our festive fun is great to see," Karen Tyrell, the chief executive of Drinkaware, said.
It will be interesting to see where the trend goes in the next few years.
Topics: Alcohol, Dry January, Gen Z, Health, Food And Drink
Emma Rosemurgey