盖洛普：Z世代喝得少了，但并非滴酒不沾

Scott Galloway, a professor who also frequently speaks in the media, said on a podcast that young people should drink a little more.

Critics denounced it as irresponsible, but the remark opened the door to a popular judgment: Gen Z doesn't drink and doesn't go out, and alcohol is collapsing in their hands.

A Gallup analysis shows that among people aged 18 to 29, the share who had drunk alcohol in the past week fell from 71 percent to 55 percent.

The former figure comes from 2015 to 2017, and the latter from 2024 to 2026.

And in the past three years, this age group's share of past-week drinking was lower than any other age group.

Katherine Keyes, a professor of epidemiology at Columbia University, said she would not use the word "plummet."

She said this is a decline, and many age groups are declining.

Lydia Saad, director of U.S. social research at Gallup, said the data sends a very clear signal that young people's behavior is changing.

But she stressed that this is a difference in degree, not a wholesale rejection.

Binge drinking is also declining.

In the University of Michigan's Monitoring the Future survey, the share of 19- to 30-year-olds reporting recent binge drinking was close to 24 percent in 2025.

A decade ago the figure was 31 percent; the survey defines binge drinking as at least five drinks in a row.

Widen the view to the global picture, and the scene changes.

IWSR, an international alcohol research organization, surveyed 15 markets.

Among Gen Z-ers of legal drinking age, the drinking participation rate rose from 66 percent to 73 percent, while for all adults it was 78 percent.

The gap between the two sides is not as big as "the sober generation" sounds.

The young people interviewed were more willing to talk about price.

Endiforchuk, 26, works in event planning in Washington, D.C., where the cocktails in front of her cost 16 to 20 dollars a glass.

She said she could use that money for something more useful.

In Washington, D.C., the cover charge to enter a bar or nightclub can also exceed 20 dollars.

Wendelin, 24, lives in Saratoga, New York; going out for a drink and taking a car home costs 60 dollars.

She said the online posts portraying this generation as Puritans are exaggerated.

Researchers offer several explanations.

One is health awareness: young people are more aware of the risks of alcohol.

In 2025 the U.S. surgeon general called for adding a cancer warning to alcohol labels.

The second is the pandemic: the starting point for drinking was pushed back.

Saad pointed out that the rise in cannabis use is not enough to explain this change.

Keyes said young people's drinking has been declining for 40 years.

What is different about Gen Z is that after they entered adulthood, their drinking did not accelerate upward accordingly.

Wilson, 23, does auto detailing in Raleigh, North Carolina.

He said phones are everywhere, and one drunken loss of composure may stay online forever.

People don't want to drink to blackout in public; that is now a frightening thing.

A decline in the share does not mean problem drinking has disappeared.

Plenty of young people still drink as usual, and occasionally have an extra bottle of a sweet liquor called "BuzzBall."

Keyes said that even among Gen Z, the level of alcohol consumption remains quite high.