In the US, data suggests that Generation Z is drinking less alcohol than previous generations did at the same age. Most industry experts believe that this trend is driven by young people's concerns about health and vanity linked to their heavy use of social media.
“It's likely to be multifactorial,” says Ian Gilmore, chair of the UK Alcohol Health Alliance, listing several potential reasons, including this age group being more risk averse and having more mental health problems and less disposable income than older generations.
Recent studies have determined that Gen Z in the UK are currently drinking 20% less than millennials did at the same age. Not entirely unique to the UK, this trend is recurrent across the Western world, with countries like France and the US also noting this dramatic decline.
Gen Z is the sober-curious generation. Between 2011 and 2023, the number of adults aged 18 to 24 who drank alcohol dropped by 8 percentage points, according to survey data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Do millennials drink more alcohol than Gen Zers? The millennials, also known as “Gen Y,” are those born between 1981-1996. While Gen Zers drink less than millennials, millennials are also drinking less than previous generations, including Baby Boomers and Generation X.
Food Theory: Why Did Gen Z QUIT Drinking Alcohol?
Is Gen Z drinking again?
It appears they're back on the pints, with beer being 52 per cent of Gen Z's drink of choice. GWI also reports that consumption of vodka and wine is on the up. Along with pints, demand for alcopops is rising, with booming sales of Smirnoff Ice, Bacardi Breezers and BuzzBallz, according to The Guardian.
Apart from having a higher spending power, data from a recent National Coffee Data Trends report shows that 46% of Gen Z respondents reported drinking coffee in the past day.
Gen Z, the generation known for pushing boundaries, championing change, and living unapologetically, is also quietly sinking into unhappiness. Gen Z, born between the late 1990s and early 2010s, is more connected than ever, but it's not translating into contentment.
From 1997 to 2023, at least 60% of Americans reported drinking alcohol. The figure fell to 62% in 2023 and to 58% in 2024, before reaching 54% today. Prior to the most recent poll, the rate has been under 60% fewer than 10 times, including 58% in the initial 1939 poll and a one-time low of 55% recorded in 1958.
Gen Z is swapping booze for lattes, mocktails and 'wellness' drinks, trend report finds. Gen Z is redefining what it means to drink — and alcohol isn't part of the plan. The youngest legal drinkers are ditching the bar cart for cold brew, swapping tequila for wellness shots and turning drinks into daily rituals.
A 2022 survey by Keep Hush, which included 1,165 respondents from both Gen Z and millennial generations, found that Gen Z is going out less than previous generations. The survey revealed that 25 percent of Gen Z were still interested in clubbing and just 13 percent of millennials.
White spirits – especially tequila and flavored vodkas – are a top choice, aligning with global trends in tequila and vodka mixology. Cocktail-style drinks (and the ingredients to make them) appeal to Gen Z's taste for flavor variety and home entertaining.
There's no scientific evidence that their biological aging is accelerating. Instead, the idea is fueled by social media comparisons, cultural trends, lifestyle habits, and environmental stressors.
Work is important — but it's not everything. Unlike older generations, who often saw work as a core part of their identity, Gen Z ranks friends and family as their top priorities, with work coming in second. Younger generations value personal time, and many believe their job doesn't define them.
Nearly half of Americans plan to drink less alcohol in 2025, with Gen Z leading the movement. The sober curious movement is gaining popularity, with nearly half (49%) of Americans planning to drink less alcohol in 2025, representing a 44% increase from 2023.
In the US, data suggests that Generation Z is drinking less alcohol than previous generations did at the same age. Most industry experts believe that this trend is driven by young people's concerns about health and vanity linked to their heavy use of social media.
In short, Millennials and Gen Z don't just want to eat out, they want to belong somewhere. And cafés, with their warm lights, good brews, and open vibes, offer just that.
Currently, 19% of Gen Z don't drink any alcohol. While many people abstain from alcohol for reasons such as their health, the main reason non-drinking Gen Zers aren't having any alcohol is because they just don't want to drink.
Overall, risky behaviors adolescents engage in are on the decline: which means members of Gen Z are smoking less, drinking less, having less sex and using cannabis less than millennials did when they were that age.
According to Politico, age plays a large role in political ideology of Gen Z depending on how young they were during world events such as the COVID-19 pandemic; older members of Gen Z leaned progressive while younger members were more conservative.
Thus, no one “alcohol gene” leads to the development of an alcohol use disorder. Researchers have found more than 400 locations in all the genetic information in an organism (genome), and at least 566 variants within these locations could influence the extent that someone may suffer from alcohol misuse.
Unlike Millennials – who display a tendency to experiment with whisky-based mixology – Gen Z consumers currently show a stronger preference for white spirit-based cocktails. Beyond these general global trends, Gen Z preferences are nuanced by region and market.
Gaming and Late-Night Socialization: Video games, group chats, and virtual meetups often stretch well into the early morning. Flexible Schedules: With remote work and online classes, Gen Z isn't tied to traditional 9-to-5 routines, making late-night habits more common.
