Recently, fewer Americans say they drink alcohol. Only 54% report consuming alcoholic beverages, the lowest percentage in nearly 90 years of opinion polls tracking alcohol consumption nationwide.
That plain statistics come from Gallup, who has been voting for Americans to drink habits since 1939. The record low of 54% in 2025 is compared to the all-time high of 71% reported between 1976 and 1978.
learn more: Drink less alcohol to reduce high blood pressure.
why? Gallup says the results are consistent with studies showing that every level of alcohol consumption is bad for your health. Low levels of alcohol consumption can lead to certain cancers and heart problems, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
The results of the vote were released on August 13th. Here are some findings.
Americans’ use of alcoholic beverages is declining
Can’t you see our graphics? Click here to reload the page.
The reduction in drinking reflects a reversal from previous studies that showed that moderate drinking could provide several benefits, Gallup says. The report differs in risks and benefits, but “levels of alcohol consumption are not safe for our health,” the World Health Organization said in 2023.
The definition of moderate drinking also varies from health agency to health, and for men and women, says Mayo Clinic. “That means that on the day a person drinks, women don’t have more than one drink, and men don’t have more than two drinks,” the clinic says.
An example of one drink is:
- 12 fluid ounces regular beer
- 5 Liquid Ounces of Wine
- 1.5 oz hard liquor or distillation spirit
More and more people think drinking is bad for you
This year, the perception that drinking could potentially harm your health has gained traction, Gallup says. Over half of those surveyed said drinking is bad for your health, starting from 45% in 2024.
Young adults who are more likely to avoid alcohol
Young adults ages 18 to 34 are most likely to believe that drinking is bad for your health, Gallup says: 66% have expressed that sentiment. People ages 35 to 44 were the second highest in that category. 50% and 48% of people over 55 responded the same.
In 60% of women are more likely to view moderate drinking compared to men (47%), according to the survey.
Gallup Poll’s attention is based on a telephone interview conducted by ReconMR from July 7 to 21, with a random sample of 1,002 adults aged 18 and over living in the 50 US states and in the Columbia area. For results based on a total sample of national adults, the margin of sampling error is ±4% points at a 95% confidence level. For results based on a total sample of 583 adults drinking alcoholic beverages, the margin of sampling error is ±5% points with a confidence level of 95%. All reported margins for sampling errors include computational design effects for weighting.
Source USA Today Network Report and Research. Gallup; Reuters
