Gallup: Drinking Remains at Record-Low
The share of Americans who drink alcohol remains at 54% for the second consecutive year.
Aug 31, 2026 | 2 min read
For the second year in a row, Americans who say they drink alcohol remains at a record-low of 54%, according to new research from Gallup.
“Self-reported drinking fell over the previous three years, from 62% in 2023 to 58% in 2024 and 54% in 2025, before holding steady this year. … Fifty-one percent of U.S. adults now believe drinking one or two alcoholic beverages a day is bad for one’s health. The figure is essentially unchanged from last year’s record-high 53% and marks only the second time since Gallup first asked the question in 2001 that a majority has expressed this view,” the research firm wrote.
Meanwhile, Gallup noted that public awareness of research about drinking and health has increased. Eighty-six percent of Americans say they have heard at least something about recent studies concerning the long-term health effects of drinking, up from 79% in 2024.
When it comes to preference of alcohol, beer continues to hold a “narrow lead” as the beverage U.S. drinkers say they drink most often: 36% name beer, 32% choose liquor and 30% choose wine.
“These figures are broadly consistent with those from the past several years. Over the longer term, preferences have shifted toward liquor (up 12 percentage points since 2016) and away from beer (down seven points), while preference for wine has remained near 30%,” Gallup concluded.
For the first time, Gallup asked Americans about their use of nonalcoholic alternatives to alcohol. Seventeen percent, including 20% of drinkers and 14% of non-drinkers, report that they have consumed nonalcoholic beer, wine or spirits instead of an alcoholic drink at some point in the past year. Among drinkers who consume nonalcoholic drinks, 38% say they are drinking more of these than they used to, about double the 17% who report drinking less.
For those who are drinking alcohol, convenient RTDs and flavor-forward brands are driving shopper demand for spirits—and c-stores are meeting the moment. Read “Raise a Can to Spirits” in the August 2025 issue of NACS Magazine.
