Lena Savoie
Alcohol consumption in the United States varies depending on age, gender, and race. According to a 2023 survey, 79.1% of people aged 12 and older reported drinking alcohol at some point in their lifetime, with males comprising 80.1% of this group and females 78.1%. Heavy drinking, defined as consuming more than 7 drinks per week for women and 14 drinks per week for men, was reported by 5.1% of adults in 2018. The top 10% of drinkers in the US consume an average of 74 alcoholic drinks per week, with the top 30% of drinkers accounting for over half of the alcohol consumed annually. While drinking is more common among younger adults, with 71% of those aged 21-29 reporting alcohol consumption, it's important to note that the legal drinking age in the US is 21.
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What You'll Learn
Heavy drinking defined as 7+ drinks/week for women and 14+ for men
Heavy drinking is defined as consuming more than seven drinks per week for women and more than 14 drinks per week for men. This definition is based on average consumption over the past year. According to the National Health Interview Survey conducted in 2018, 5.1% of adults engaged in heavy drinking in the past year.
Heavy drinking is associated with a range of adverse health outcomes and an increased risk of alcohol-related harm. Research has linked heavy alcohol consumption to an elevated risk of alcohol use disorder (AUD), suicide, interpersonal violence, traffic injuries, liver disease, specific cancers, infectious diseases, and adverse birth outcomes in pregnant women. The risk of harm typically increases with the amount of alcohol consumed, and even low levels of alcohol consumption have been associated with increased risks of certain health issues.
In the United States, the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) reported that 16.4 million people aged 12 and older (5.8% in this age group) engaged in heavy alcohol use in the past month. This included 9.8 million males and 6.6 million females. The NSDUH also reported that 141,000 youth aged 12 to 17 (0.5% in this age group) engaged in heavy alcohol use in the past month, with similar numbers for boys and girls.
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) defines binge drinking as a pattern of drinking that raises blood alcohol concentration to 0.08% or higher. This typically occurs when a woman consumes four or more drinks or a man consumes five or more drinks within about two hours. Binge drinking is a form of alcohol misuse and contributes to more than half of alcohol-related deaths in the United States. It increases the risk of various negative outcomes, including falls, burns, car crashes, memory blackouts, medication interactions, assaults, drownings, and overdose deaths.
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025 recommend that adults who choose to drink alcohol should limit their intake to one drink or less per day for women and two drinks or less per day for men. These guidelines are not averages but daily limits. According to the CDC, moderate drinking is defined as one drink or less per day for women and two drinks or less per day for men. Excessive drinking, including binge drinking and heavy alcohol use, can lead to the development of alcohol use disorder (AUD), which is characterized by alcohol consumption causing distress and harm to an individual's life.
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2023 NSDUH reports on heavy drinking in the past month
According to the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 16.4 million people aged 12 and older (5.8% of this age group) reported heavy alcohol use in the past month. This includes:
- 9.8 million males aged 12 and older (7.1% of this age group)
- 6.6 million females aged 12 and older (4.5% of this age group)
- 75,000 American Indian or Alaska Native people aged 12 and older (5.6% of this age group)
- 348,000 Asian people aged 12 and older (2.0% of this age group)
- 1.6 million Black or African American people aged 12 and older (4.7% of this age group)
- 11.4 million White people aged 12 and older (6.7% of this age group)
The NSDUH report also revealed that 141,000 youths aged 12 to 17 (0.5% in this age group) reported heavy alcohol consumption in the past month. This includes:
- 71,000 boys aged 12 to 17 (0.5% of this age group)
- 70,000 girls aged 12 to 17 (0.6% of this age group)
- 4,000 American Indian or Alaska Native youths aged 12 to 17 (1.9% of this age group)
- 11,000 Black or African American youths aged 12 to 17 (0.3% of this age group)
- 60,000 White youths aged 12 to 17 (0.5% of this age group)
- 11,000 youths of two or more races aged 12 to 17 (1.2% of this age group)
- 55,000 Hispanic or Latino youths aged 12 to 17 (0.8% of this age group)
Furthermore, the 2023 NSDUH data showed that 16.3 million adults aged 18 and older (6.3% of this age group) reported heavy alcohol use in the past month. This includes:
- 9.8 million men aged 18 and older (7.8% of this age group)
- 6.5 million women aged 18 and older (4.9% of this age group)
- 71,000 American Indian or Alaska Native adults aged 18 and older (6.4% of this age group)
- 348,000 Asian adults aged 18 and older (2.2% of this age group)
- 1.6 million Black or African American adults aged 18 and older (5.3% of this age group)
- 11.4 million White adults aged 18 and older (7.2% of this age group)
The 2023 NSDUH also provided insights into the prevalence of drinking, binge drinking, and heavy drinking among full-time college students aged 18 to 25. According to the survey, 49.6% of this demographic reported drinking alcohol in the past month, with 29.3% engaging in binge drinking and 6.8% reporting heavy drinking during the same period.
While the 2023 NSDUH report offers valuable insights into alcohol consumption patterns, it's worth noting that heavy drinking is typically defined as consuming more than seven drinks per week for women and more than 14 drinks per week for men over the past year. This definition is used by organizations like the National Center for Health Statistics and is associated with various health risks, including an increased likelihood of alcohol use disorders, suicide, interpersonal violence, and adverse health outcomes.
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Alcohol consumption by religious denomination
Alcohol consumption in the US varies across different religious denominations. While some religions strictly prohibit alcohol consumption, considering it sinful or harmful to spiritual and physical well-being, others incorporate it into their rituals and ceremonies.
Christianity
Christianity has had a complex relationship with alcohol, with some denominations advocating for moderation while others promote abstinence. The Bible explores the dual role of alcohol, presenting its positive uses and warnings against excess. Alcohol holds symbolic significance in Christian sacraments, such as the Eucharist, where wine is used. However, certain Christian churches, like the Southern Baptist Convention, the Seventh-day Adventist Church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons), and The Church of the Nazarene, uphold temperance as a core value and prohibit alcohol consumption.
Within the Catholic Church, alcohol consumption is generally accepted in moderation. A study of Korean American women in California found that Catholic and Independent Christian women showed stronger associations with heavy alcohol consumption compared to other Christian denominations. Protestants, on the whole, are less likely to consume alcohol. Within Protestantism, there are variations; white mainline Protestants are more likely to consume alcohol than black Protestants and white evangelical Protestants. White evangelicals are more likely to view drinking alcohol as morally wrong.
Islam
In Islam, the consumption of alcohol is strictly prohibited according to Islamic teachings, reflecting its foundational role in shaping Muslim identity.
Hinduism
Hinduism lacks a central authority, but religious texts generally discourage alcohol consumption. The Śruti texts, such as the Vedas and Upanishads, consider intoxication a recipe for weakness, while the Smriti texts allow alcohol consumption for some castes but emphasize that abstention is preferable.
Judaism
Jews in the US are more likely than average to consume alcohol.
Agnostics and the Non-Religious
Among Americans without a religious affiliation, self-described agnostics are more likely than those who describe their religion as "nothing in particular" to have consumed alcohol in the past 30 days. A third of agnostics fall into the binge-drinking category. Those without a religious affiliation are also more likely to engage in binge drinking than Catholics and Protestants.
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Alcohol consumption by gender
Alcohol consumption in the United States has historically been higher among men than women. For cohorts born around 1900, men outnumbered women by roughly 3:1 in terms of prevalence and frequency of drinking. However, this gap has narrowed significantly over time.
Recent studies indicate that the number of women aged 18 and older who consume alcohol annually has increased, while the number of men in this age group has decreased slightly. This trend is also observed in the prevalence of binge drinking, with a more significant increase among women compared to men. These shifts contribute to the closing gender gap in alcohol consumption patterns.
Among adolescents, alcohol consumption, including binge drinking, has declined significantly since the early 2000s. This decrease has been more pronounced among young males, leading to a notable convergence in gender differences. By the 12th grade, male students still reported higher levels of alcohol consumption and binge drinking than their female peers, but these differences have diminished as young adults.
When examining alcohol consumption by race and gender, it's worth noting that among students aged 12 to 17, past-month alcohol use is higher among White students (12%) compared to their Hispanic or Latino peers (9%). American Indian or Alaska Native students report a rate of 8%, followed by Black or African American and Asian students at 6% each. Interestingly, the rate among students of two or more races stands at 11%. While more boys (19%) initiate drinking before turning 14, girls who start drinking at an early age exhibit a shorter time gap between their first drink and their first episode of binge drinking.
In summary, while men have traditionally consumed more alcohol than women in the US, this gap has narrowed over time. Increases in alcohol consumption among older women have outpaced those of their male counterparts. Additionally, the decline in alcohol use among adolescents has been more significant for young males, contributing to a convergence in gender differences. These trends highlight the dynamic nature of alcohol consumption patterns across genders and age groups in the United States.
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Alcohol consumption by age
Alcohol consumption in the United States varies across different age groups. While the minimum legal drinking age in the US is 21, many people report drinking alcohol at age 14 or younger. According to the NIAAA, 9.56% of current drinkers aged 18 and older began drinking at 14 or younger. Additionally, 17.2% of eighth-graders (aged 13-14) reported alcohol use beyond a few sips in the past year. The median age of initiation of alcohol use among people aged 12 to 20 is 14.9 years.
Among adults aged 18 and over, 63% reported drinking alcohol, while 36% described themselves as "total abstainers." Drinking rates increase to 65% when considering only adults of legal drinking age (21 and older). Within this age group, 60% of adults aged 18-29 reported drinking alcohol, while the rate was slightly higher at 71% for those aged 21-29. The drinking rate among 30-49-year-olds was 70%, and it decreased to 64% for those aged 50-64 and 54% for individuals aged 65 and older.
Heavy drinking, defined as consuming more than 14 drinks per week for men and more than 7 drinks per week for women, was reported by 5.1% of adults aged 18 and over in 2018. This percentage was lowest among adults aged 65 and over (4.1%) and highest among non-Hispanic white adults compared to other racial groups. In 2023, 6.3% of adults aged 18 and older reported heavy alcohol use in the past month, translating to 16.3 million individuals. This included 9.8 million men and 6.5 million women in this age group.
When considering a broader age range of 12 and older, 16.4 million people (5.8%) reported heavy alcohol use in the past month in 2023. This included 9.8 million males and 6.6 million females. Additionally, 141,000 youth aged 12-17 (0.5%) reported heavy alcohol use during this period, with similar proportions of boys and girls in this age group.
Overall, alcohol consumption patterns vary across different age groups in the United States, with initiation often occurring at a younger age than the legal drinking limit. Heavy drinking is a concern among a smaller proportion of individuals, with rates differing by age and demographic characteristics.
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Frequently asked questions
The average per capita alcohol consumption in the US in 2021 was 2.51 gallons of ethanol, which equates to approximately 535.5 standard drinks in a year.
According to a Gallup poll, two-thirds of US adults (66%) drink alcohol. This includes 66% of men and 61% of women.
Alcohol consumption is more common among younger adults. While 60% of adults aged 18-29 drink alcohol, this increases to 71% for those aged 21-29. For those aged 30-49, 70% drink alcohol, while the rate decreases to 64% for those aged 50-64 and 54% for those aged 65 and over.
Heavy drinking is defined as consuming more than seven drinks per week for women and more than 14 drinks per week for men. In 2018, 5.1% of adults engaged in heavy drinking in the past year. In 2023, 6.3% of adults aged 18 and older reported heavy alcohol use in the past month.
Alcohol consumption varies by race and ethnicity. In 2023, 84.7% of White people aged 12 and older reported drinking alcohol at some point in their lifetime, compared to 78.1% of females, 70.5% of Black or African Americans, 66.5% of American Indian or Alaska Natives, 62.2% of Asians, and 72.6% of Hispanic or Latino people.
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