A recent study conducted by Gallup reveals that young adults are now consuming less alcohol compared to previous decades.
The findings show that only 62 percent of Americans aged 18 to 34 admit to drinking, which is a decline from 72 percent twenty years ago.
In contrast, adults aged 55 and older are drinking more. The survey found that 59 percent of this age group reported drinking compared to 49 percent two decades ago.
Among the 35 to 54 age group, the drinking rate remains relatively high at 69 percent, consistent with previous readings of 67 percent for this category, according to Gallup.
Overall, the number of Americans who claim to have occasions that involve drinking alcohol remains the same as it was 20 years ago.
According to the report, “While the national average has remained steady in the low 60% range for over 40 years, the rate has decreased by 10 percentage points over the past two decades among younger adults aged 18 to 34, dropping from 72% to 62%.”
The survey also reveals that younger adults are drinking less frequently, while older adults are drinking more regularly.
Among younger Americans, 61 percent reported having a drink in the past week, indicating regular drinking. This figure is down from 64 percent in 2011-2013 and 67 percent in 2001-2003, according to Gallup.
Among Americans aged 55 and older, 69 percent reported having a drink in the past week, compared to 63 percent in 2001-2003. There has also been a slight increase in the number of Americans aged 35 to 54 who reported having a drink in the last week, from 45 to 48 percent.
Gallup stated, “This pattern represents a change from two decades ago when younger adults were the most likely to be regular drinkers and older adults the least.”
Gallup offers several reasons to explain the declining drinking rates among young people.
One of the main reasons could be demographics. The percentage of racial minorities, such as Black, Hispanic, Asian, and others, within the 18 to 34 age group has doubled in the past two decades, now accounting for half of the category compared to just under one-third twenty years ago.
Gallup notes that nonwhite Americans have traditionally been less likely than White Americans to consume alcohol across different age groups.
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