A new study finds that alcohol consumption in the United States declined between 2022 and 2024 for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, though overall drinking levels remain above where they stood before the pandemic began. One age group, however, is moving in the opposite direction.
The research, led by the University of Southern California’s Keck Medicine, found that among adults ages 50 to 64, alcohol use rose by nearly 4% from 2018 to 2024, and heavy drinking within that group jumped by more than 36%.
Across all age groups combined, alcohol use fell by nearly 2% and heavy drinking dropped by more than 8% between 2022 and 2024. Even so, the study notes that overall alcohol use has not returned to pre-pandemic baselines.
Younger Americans account for much of the recent decline. Alcohol use among Gen Z adults fell by more than 5%, while Millennials reported drinking approximately 17% less between 2022 and 2024.
The findings were published Sept. 21 in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine. Researchers drew on self-reported data from the National Health Interview Survey, covering 114,352 U.S. adults surveyed between 2018 and 2024.
The study does not identify a specific cause for the increase in drinking among the 50-to-64 age group, nor does it draw conclusions about long-term health outcomes tied to the shift. It does establish that the trend runs counter to the broader national pattern of declining consumption among younger adults.
