Why we're rethinking our drinking
As consumption rates decline, low- and no-alcohol options are coming to the fore.
A helping hand
If you are concerned about your drinking, you should talk to your doctor.
If you want to cut back on your alcohol consumption, you could try some of these strategies:
Making plans that don’t involve alcohol
Meeting with friends who don’t drink alcohol
Drinking only with food
Drinking non-alcoholic drinks, like water, between alcoholic drinks
Choosing lower strength alcoholic drinks
Counting standard drinks and setting a limit for yourself
Health Direct has further information, including contact details for helplines for individuals, their families, and carers, here.
For many older Australians, drinking was once something of a ritual: a beer or two after work, wine with dinner, or a celebratory toast, sometimes for no particular reason.
Times are changing. Across Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, alcohol consumption is declining, driven by shifting health attitudes, generational change, and new social norms.
In Australia, statistics show a clear long‑term downward trend. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) reports that per‑capita alcohol availability fell from 10.5 litres to 9.8 litres of pure alcohol per person aged 15 and over between 2022–23 and 2023–24. That’s the largest year‑on‑year drop since records began in the early 1960s.
Younger Australians are leading this shift: the proportion of 18–24‑year‑olds who drink monthly fell from 34% in 2019 to 29% in 2022–23, while the share who have never had a full glass of alcohol has more than doubled since 2001.
Health awareness, cost pressures, and changing social lives are all cited as contributors.
A similar pattern is evident in the UK. A recent report highlighted that 24% of UK adults had not consumed alcohol in over a year, up from 19% in 2022, with young men showing particularly sharp increases in abstention.
Government and industry data also indicate that average weekly consumption is now at its lowest level since 1990 – more than a quarter below its peak. Rising living costs, stricter drink‑driving laws, and growing health concerns about alcohol consumption are reshaping behaviour.
In the United States, the shift is even more stark. A 2025 Gallup poll found that only 54% of American adults say they drink alcohol – the lowest level recorded in nearly 90 years of surveys.
At the same time, 53% of Americans now believe that even moderate drinking is harmful to health, which is up from 28% in 2015. Younger adults are the most sceptical, but concern is rising across all age groups.
The implications are wide‑ranging. Public health experts welcome the potential for reduced rates of cancer, liver disease, and injury.
Hospitality and alcohol producers, meanwhile, are adapting to lower volumes and changing tastes with rapid growth in low‑ and no‑alcohol beers, wines, and spirits.
Importantly, abstaining is only one approach. For many people, the shift is not about giving up alcohol entirely but about minimising intake, drinking less often, or substituting low‑ or no‑alcohol options.
As drinking becomes less central to social identity, moderation is increasingly seen not as an exception, but as a normal and acceptable choice.
Related reading: AIHW, Yahoo News, Gallup, The Independent, Associated Press
Disclaimer: This article is for information purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. Consult a healthcare professional about any health concerns or before making any changes to your medication, diet, or exercise routine.
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