(NewsNation) — Booze makers and retailers may have reason to drown their sorrows: The percentage of American adults who say they consume alcohol has fallen to its lowest level since Gallup began recording the statistic in the late 1930s.
The polling firm Wednesday reported only 54% of adults surveyed this year said they drink alcohol, a 4-point decrease from 2024. By comparison, at least 60% of U.S. adults said they drank alcohol in surveys conducted between 1997 and 2023, Gallup said.
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“After decades of relative steadiness in the proportion of U.S. adults who drink, Gallup has documented three consecutive years of decline in the U.S. drinking rate,” the pollsters said in a summation of the figures. “Compounding the challenge for companies that sell alcohol, drinkers now appear to be dialing back how much they drink, as well.”
Previously, the lowest percentage of adults who indicated they drank was 55% in 1958. The highest percentages — 68% and 71% — were tallied between 1974 and 1981, Gallup said.
The recent downward spiral in alcohol consumption coincides with research that suggests any level of alcohol consumption may be bad for your health, a sentiment widely embraced by young adults, Gallup said. But older adults have increasingly agreed in recent years that even moderate alcohol use provides no health benefits, the polling firm said.
For those who do imbibe, beer was their preferred product (38%), followed by wine (30%) and spirits (29%), Gallup said.
In response to the Gallup poll, the Distilled Spirits Council said people who drink in moderation “live at least as long or longer” than non-drinkers, according to a federally funded consensus report.
“The decision whether or not to drink alcohol is a personal one, and the spirits industry recognizes that there are some people who should not drink and supports those who choose not to. As with many choices in life, consuming alcohol comes with risk, and no one should drink to achieve health benefits,” the organization said.
