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9 clusters · 31 sources · 59 days · First seen 3 months ago · Last updated 23 days ago

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.

Research published in the ‘Annals of Internal Medicine’ and led by Keck Medicine of USC indicates that alcohol use has declined for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Between 2022 and 2024, overall use decreased by nearly 2%, while heavy drinking fell by more than 8%. This decline is most pronounced among younger demographics, with Gen Z (ages 18–29) seeing a reduction in use of over 5% and Millennials seeing a 17% drop in heavy drinking.

Conversely, alcohol use among adults aged 50 to 64 has increased by nearly 4% since 2018, with heavy drinking in this group rising by more than 36%. Dr. Brian P. Lee warned that this increase is particularly dangerous due to higher risks of cirrhosis, cancers, and cardiovascular diseases. New analysis of CDC data from over 114,000 adults confirms this midlife cohort has pulled significantly ahead of all other age groups in heavy drinking rates. Furthermore, heavy drinking among women rose more than among men during the pandemic and remains approximately 13% higher than pre-pandemic levels; Dr. Lee noted that the share of women who drink heavily is now slightly higher than the share of men.

Regional safety concerns persist in New Jersey, where despite an 8.4% decrease in adult alcohol consumption, alcohol-impaired road fatalities have surged by 29.06% over the last decade.

Retail data continues to reflect contraction. For the four weeks ending September 5, 2026, total sector revenue fell 3.7% and volume decreased by 5.6% compared to the previous year.

Entities

Brian P. Lee · Gallup · Keck Medicine of USC · Anheuser-Busch · Annals of Internal Medicine

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 2 SOURCES] Among adults aged 50 to 64, alcohol use increased by nearly 4% and heavy drinking increased by more than 36% between 2018 and 2024.
[● 2 SOURCES] The research utilized self-reported data from 114,352 U.S. adults via the National Health Interview Survey from 2018 to 2024.
[● 2 SOURCES] Alcohol use declined by more than 5% among Gen Z adults, and Millennials saw a reduction of approximately 17% between 2022 and 2024.
[○ 1 SOURCE] Alcohol-related fatalities in New Jersey have risen despite a decrease in alcohol consumption in the state.
[○ 1 SOURCE] New Jersey experienced a 29.06% surge in alcohol-impaired road fatalities, ranking 10th highest in the U.S. over the last decade.

Timeline

23 days ago

[HEALTH] 3 sources
Midlife Americans aged 50-64 see surge in heavy alcohol consumption
New research shows that while overall alcohol consumption in the U.S. is declining, heavy drinking among adults aged 50 to 64 has surged by over 36% since 2018.
27 days ago

[HEALTH] 5 sources
U.S. alcohol consumption shifts as heavy drinking surges in older adults
U.S. alcohol use is declining among Gen Z and Millennials, but heavy drinking has surged by over 36% among adults aged 50-64. Meanwhile, New Jersey faces rising alcohol-related road fatalities.
about 1 month ago

[HEALTH] 12 sources
United States alcohol use declines for first time since pandemic
U.S. alcohol use has declined for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, led by Gen Z and Millennials, though heavy drinking among adults aged 50-64 continues to rise.
about 1 month ago

[BUSINESS] 3 sources
US alcohol sales decline despite Labor Day boost
US alcohol sales fell 3.7% in value over four weeks ending September 5, despite a brief Labor Day boost. Beer and wine saw significant volume declines, while non-alcoholic beer showed growth.
2 months 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 months 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.
2 months 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.
2 months 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.
3 months 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 · caribpulse.com · cstoredive.com · diningandcooking.com · economiafinanzas.com · elagrocorrentino.com.ar · fingerlakes1.com · fooddive.com · haberaktuel.com · libertyunyielding.com · medicaldaily.com · medonet.pl · mynewsla.com · newswise.com · nomooo.jp · nypost.com · offthepress.com · prevention.com · sixtyandme.com · southfloridareporter.com · stiripesurse.ro · tfm.usc.edu · timesnownews.com · usc.edu · villagevoicenews.com · vinetur.com · wfpg.com · world-today-news.com · wpgtalkradio.com

This summary has been updated 8 times: see revision history