BRAVE NEW WORLD –
Aug. 22, 2023 – Drinking rates among young adults in the United States have gradually decreased over the past two decades. During the past 20 years, the percent of U.S. adults who drink has dropped 10 percentage points, falling from 72% to 62%, according to a new study from Gallup.
Younger adults who do drink are drinking less regularly. Individuals between 18-35 who claim they “ever drink,” that they “drank in the past week” or “sometimes drink more than they should” are all lower today, according to Gallup.
Consuming an alcoholic beverage at least once per week indicates a regular drinker. Between 2001-2003, 67% of younger adults reported they have at least one drink per week, but that rate has dropped to 61% today, the study revealed.
Overdrinking, or binge drinking, is also less common among young adults in the U.S. Young drinkers who report they sometimes drink “more than they think they should” has dropped from 28% in the 2000s or 2010s to 22% today.
