Americans Are Drinking Less Alcohol Than Ever, a New Report Says

For an increasing number of Americans, “Dry January” isn’t a monthly dalliance in sobriety, but a year-round embrace of teetotaling.

According to a new report, 54 percent of Americans say that they consume alcohol, which is the lowest amount in the 90 years that Gallup has been tracking these figures. Those who still drink responded that they’re imbibing less. The average number of drinks over seven days has dropped to 2.8, which is down from 3.8 per week in 2024, and the lowest level observed in nearly 30 years.

What appears to be driving the trend has been a sea change in how people perceive alcohol in relation to their health. Gallup reports that 53 percent of Americans believe drinking alcohol even in moderation (one to two drinks per day) is bad for their health, the first time a majority of Americans have responded that way. And now only 6 percent of people say it’s good for your health. In contrast, in the early 2000s, 25 percent of people thought alcohol had deleterious effects, while a similar amount thought it was actually good for them.

Gone are the days of researchers telling people a glass of wine a day is part of a healthy lifestyle. “Experts agree that the only truly ‘safe’ amount of alcohol to consume is none,” Debbie Petitpain, a registered dietitian and media spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, previously told Robb Report. “For those who don’t drink, it’s not advised you start drinking for any perceived health benefits.”

While young people consume alcohol at the lowest level of those surveyed—just 50 percent of Americans aged 18 to 34 partake, down 8 percentage points from 2023—the steepest drop has been among people 35 to 54. Millennials and Gen Xers saw a 14-point fall in the last year alone, with just 56 percent of them now imbibing. And while people making over $100,000 are the most likely Americans to drink, many fewer of them are doing it in 2025 than in 2023—a drop from 79 percent to 66 percent.

Gallup also asked people about their marijuana use to see if that would account for the dip in drinking, but the organization says its data shows that THC consumption has remained steady over the last four years, meaning it isn’t showing signs of displacing alcohol use.

The most recent survey was conducted by Gallup in July, with 1,000 respondents reached by phone. And while there may be errors in the polling, these trends certainly echo what is happening in the alcohol business: wine and spirits brands have been reporting shrinking revenues over the past year, and industry groups have announced efforts to get young people to drink again. But if these trends persist, alcohol brands won’t just be worrying about Gen-Zers not drinking anymore—they’ll have an entire population with a new relationship to booze.