Republicans drive US drinking rate to historic low at 46%
A recent Gallup poll has found that fewer Americans are drinking alcohol than at any point in the last nine decades, with most now believing even moderate drinking is bad for health.
The percentage of US adults who say they drink alcohol has fallen to 54% — the lowest figure in Gallup’s nearly 90-year trend, and down from 62% in 2023. The decline coincides with a growing belief that moderate alcohol consumption is harmful, now the majority view for the first time.
Gallup’s annual Consumption Habits survey, conducted 7-21 July 2025, found that from 1997 to 2023, at least 60% of Americans reported drinking. Before this latest poll, the rate had been under 60% fewer than 10 times, including 58% in the initial 1939 poll and a previous low of 55% in 1958. The highest levels — 68% to 71% — came between 1974 and 1981.
The drop since 2023 has been sharper among women (down 11 points to 51%) than men (down five points to 57%). It has also fallen 11 points among non-Hispanic White adults, but held steady at around 50% among people of colour.
Young adults’ drinking rate has dropped from 59% in 2023 to 50%, placing them below middle-aged and older adults. Republicans have also reported a sharp decline — down 19 points to 46% — while Democrats remain stable at 61%.
The poll found no evidence that the decline is due to people switching to other substances such as recreational marijuana, which has remained steady in use over the past four years.
Majority say moderate drinking is harmful
For the first time, a majority of Americans (53%) say that drinking in moderation — defined as one or two drinks a day — is bad for health. Just 6% say it is good for health, while 37% believe it makes no difference.
This marks a sharp rise from 28% in 2018, 39% in 2023 and 45% in 2024. From 2001 to 2011, about 25% viewed moderate drinking as harmful, roughly matching the percentage who saw it as beneficial.
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Young adults are the most likely to see moderate drinking as harmful. Around two-thirds now hold this view, compared with lower but rising levels among middle-aged and older adults. Women are more likely than men to see moderate drinking as unhealthy (60% vs. 47%), and Democrats (58%) and independents (55%) are more likely than Republicans (44%).
Drinkers cutting back
Even among those who drink, consumption is falling. A record-low 24% of drinkers said they had consumed alcohol in the past 24 hours, while 40% said it had been more than a week — the highest level since 2000.
The average number of drinks consumed over the past week is now 2.8 — down from 3.8 a year ago and the lowest Gallup has recorded since 1996. The highest average was 5.1 drinks in 2003.
Adults who believe moderate drinking is harmful are just as likely to drink as those who do not (55% vs. 54%), but they are less likely to have drunk in the past week (49% vs. 69%) and consume fewer drinks on average (4.5 vs. 6.4).
Beer still leads
Beer remains the most preferred alcoholic drink among US drinkers, ahead of liquor (30%) and wine (29%). Before 2019, liquor ranked last, but in recent years it has roughly matched wine in popularity.
Gender differences persist, with men more likely than women to choose beer (52% vs. 23%), while women are more likely to choose wine (44% vs. 14%). Liquor preference is almost even (29% men, 32% women). Younger and middle-aged adults are more likely than over-55s to prefer beer, while young adults are least likely to prefer wine.
According to Gallup, the decline in drinking marks three consecutive years of falling rates. The poll suggests that growing medical consensus that no amount of alcohol is safe may be shaping consumer habits — with both the proportion of Americans drinking and the amount they drink in retreat.
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