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5 clusters · 11 sources · 21 days · First seen · Last updated

U.S. alcohol consumption and retail sales decline

Overview

Alcohol consumption among U.S. adults has stabilized at 54%, the lowest level recorded since Gallup began tracking the metric in 1939. This follows a multi-year decline from 62% in 2023 and 67% in 2022.

Health consciousness continues to drive this trend. Approximately 51% of Americans now view consuming one to two drinks daily as ‘unhealthy,’ a significant increase from 27% in 2001. This sentiment is most acute among younger adults aged 18–34, where 62% consider moderate drinking to be unhealthy.

Market preferences are shifting alongside these attitudes. While beer remains the most popular category at 36%, spirits have seen a 12-point increase in preference since 2016, now reaching 32%. The market for non-alcoholic alternatives also remains significant, with 17% of respondents reporting consumption of non-alcoholic beer, wine, or spirits in the past year.

Recent retail data reflects these shifting trends. During the four-week period ending August 15, 2026, U.S. retail alcohol sales fell 3.4% to $8.5 billion, with case volumes dropping 5.3%. The beer category saw a 4.4% decrease in dollar sales; while Budweiser declined by nearly 10%, Pacifico increased by 17.6%. Non-alcoholic beer emerged as a growth area, rising 8.9% in both value and volume. Spirits also experienced a downturn, with value down 3.2% and volume down 3.5%, marking 28 consecutive weeks of negative growth.

Entities

Gallup · Anheuser-Busch · Bloomberg · New Belgium · United States

Timeline

  1. 15 days ago

    [BUSINESS] 2 sources
    US alcohol retail sales decline 3.4% during summer season

    U.S. retail alcohol sales fell 3.4% through mid-August 2026, driven by a 4.4% decline in beer sales and a 28-week downward trend in spirits, despite growth in non-alcoholic beer.

  2. 17 days ago

    [BUSINESS] 4 sources
    U.S. alcohol consumption stabilizes at historic low of 54%

    U.S. adult alcohol consumption has stabilized at 54%, the lowest level since 1939, amid rising health concerns and a growing market for non-alcoholic alternatives.

  3. 19 days ago

    [HEALTH] 2 sources
    US alcohol consumption declines as senior drinking rates rise

    U.S. alcohol consumption is declining, with only 54 percent of adults reporting drinking. While wine remains stable among older demographics, senior alcohol use is rising due to social and lifestyle changes.

  4. 22 days ago

    [HEALTH] 4 sources
    U.S. alcohol consumption hits record low amid health concerns

    U.S. alcohol consumption has hit a record low of 54%, according to Gallup, driven by growing public concern over health risks and long-term effects.

  5. about 1 month ago

    [BUSINESS] 3 sources
    U.S. Adults Cut Alcohol Use as Consumption Hits Historic Low

    Gallup reports 54% of U.S. adults now drink alcohol, the lowest since 1939, prompting a $830 billion market loss for major producers like Diageo and Pernod Ricard.

Sources

97rockonline.com · beverfood.com · ca.sports.yahoo.com · cstoredive.com · diningandcooking.com · fingerlakes1.com · fooddive.com · nomooo.jp · sixtyandme.com · southfloridareporter.com · vinetur.com

This summary has been updated 3 times: see revision history