Americans are drinking less than ever, poll finds

Americans say they are drinking less alcohol than ever amid a belief that even moderate consumption can pose a health risk.

The findings are detailed in a new Gallup poll published Wednesday. Gallup conducted a poll based on telephone interviews conducted by ReconMR July 7-21, 2025, with a random sample of 1,002 people, 18 years old and older, living in the U.S.

Record-low number of Americans say they drink alcohol

Why you should care:

Approximately 54% of Americans say they drink alcoholic beverages such as liquor, wine, or beer, which is lower than at any other point in the past 30 years.

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Gallup noted in their poll that drinking has been more noticeable among women (51%) than among men (57%). Drinking has also dropped among non-Hispanic white adults, while it has been steady at around 50% among people of color.

And drinking among young Americans has also dipped to 50%, which puts their drinking rate lower than middle-aged and older Americans.

People who drink alcohol consume less

The other side:

The poll reveals that Americans that believe moderate drinking is bad for one’s health are just as likely as individuals who don't share those concerns to report that they drink, but fewer people with health worries have consumed alcohol recently.

Roughly half of people who are concerned that moderate drinking is unhealthy said they had a drink in the previous week, compared with 7 in 10 people who did not think drinking was bad for their health.

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According to Gallup, only 25% of Americans who drink said they had consumed alcohol in the past 24 hours, while about 4 in 10 respondents said that it had been more than a week since they had a drink.

Majority of respondents believe drinking in moderation is bad for health

Dig deeper:

Fifty-three percent of people in the poll said drinking in moderation, or "one or two drinks a day," is bad for one’s health. Only 6% say it’s good for one’s health, while 37% think drinking in moderation doesn’t have an influence. 

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The poll found that roughly two-thirds of 18- to 34-year-olds believe moderate drinking is unhealthy. While older Americans are less likely to see alcohol as harmful, roughly half of Americans 55 years old and older believe this. Additionally, women (60%) are more likely than men (47%) to believe moderate drinking as unhealthy.

Beer is still the most preferred alcohol

Big picture view:

Americans who drink continue to reference beer as the alcoholic beverage they consume most often, surpassing 30% who name liquor and 29% who name wine.

But preferences for alcohol were different between men and women. Gallup noted that men (52%) are far more likely than women (23%) to reach for a beer. 

However, 44% of women are more likely than 14% of men to choose wine. The poll also found that men and women are equally likely to opt for liquor (29% and 32%, respectively).

This trend is also different between age groups too, with young and middle-aged Americans more likely than people 55 years old and older to prefer beer, while young Americans are least likely to prefer wine.