Young adults are drinking less than in decades before, according to recent findings from Gallup.
Just 62 percent of Americans aged 18 to 34 say they drink, according to the findings, a drop from 72 percent two decades ago.
Adults who are 55 and older, meanwhile, are drinking more. Gallup found 59 percent in this category say they drink, compared to 49 percent two decades ago.
People aged 35 to 54 maintain a higher drinking rate, at 69 percent, similar to prior readings of 67 percent for this age group, according to Gallup.
Overall, about the same number of Americans say they “have occasion” to drink alcohol now as 20 years ago.
“While the national average has been steady in the low 60% range for over 40 years, the age trends reviewed for this report show that the rate has declined 10 percentage points over the past two decades among younger adults, aged 18 to 34, falling from 72% to 62%,” a write-up on the findings read.
Younger adults also appear to be drinking less regularly — and older adults more regularly — according to the survey.
The 61 percent of younger Americans who most recently reported having a drink in the past week, which could reflect they are regular drinkers, is down from 64 percent in 2011-2013 and 67 percent in 2001-2003, per Gallup.
Sixty-nine percent of Americans aged 55 and older reported having a drink the past week, compared to 63 percent in 2001-2003. Americans aged 35 to 54 have also seen a slight right in the number who say they’ve had a drink in the last week, from 45 to 48 percent.
“This pattern is a change from two decades ago when younger adults were the most likely to be regular drinkers and older adults the least,” Gallup stated.
Gallup offered several reasons for why drinking rates appear to be falling among young people.
The main reason could be demographics. The percentage of those aged 18 to 34 who are Black, Hispanic, Asian or another racial minority has doubled over the past two decades, making up half the category instead of just under one-third 20 years ago.
Nonwhite Americans have been less likely than White Americans to use alcohol across age groups, Gallup noted.
