Alcohol Consumption In America Has Hit A Record Low — Here’s What’s Behind The Drop

August 15, 2025

Turns out, America is putting down the wine glass.

Gallup’s latest survey shows only 54% of U.S. adults say they drink alcohol — the lowest number since the poll started way back in 1939.

It’s not just a tiny dip, either. For decades, at least 60% of Americans said they drank. But in the past three years, those numbers have slid fast: 62% in 2023, 58% in early 2024, and now… 54%. Gallup says this kind of year-after-year drop has never happened before.

So, what’s going on?

A big reason is shifting health opinions. For the first time, most Americans — 53% — say even “just one or two drinks a day” is bad for you. Only 6% think it’s good for you, and the rest say it makes no difference.

Young adults, who were already sipping less than older generations, saw a big drop — from 59% last year to just 50% now. Even political leanings are showing changes: drinking among Republicans fell a huge 19 points (now at 46%), while Democrats stayed steady at 61%.

And no, it’s not because everyone’s suddenly swapped wine for marijuana. Recreational marijuana use has stayed about the same for the past four years, so this is more about people rethinking alcohol altogether.

Data via Gallup.com

The Great Health Mindset Shift

Back in the early 2000s, only about a quarter of Americans thought moderate drinking was harmful — and plenty believed that a glass of red wine was actually good for you. Now? That idea’s getting corked.

2018: 28% thought moderate drinking was unhealthy

2023: 39%

2024: 53% (a majority for the first time)

Young adults lead the pack, with about two-thirds saying moderate drinking is bad for your health.

Women are more likely than men to say the same (60% vs. 47%).

Where This Could Be Headed

Gallup compares this shift to how smoking rates started tumbling after the Surgeon General’s warnings in the ’60s. Whether the same thing happens with alcohol might depend on how strongly doctors, health officials, and policymakers keep delivering the “no amount is risk-free” message.

For now, it’s safe to say the U.S. is rethinking what’s in the glass.