Younger generation skips alcohol entirely, prompting shift in market

While you’re doing dry January, the younger generation is skipping the booze entirely

What you already know: While many older adults focus on cutting back or eliminating alcohol from their diets this month, observing what’s come to be called Dry January, many in the younger generations are taking a long term view on sobriety. A 2023 Gallup survey found that adults under the age of 35 who reported drinking any alcohol dropped 10% in the last decade, from 72% to 62%. A 2024 survey from NCSolutions showed that 61% of Gen Z and half of millennials surveyed planned to drink less.

Why? Many young people started to rethink their approach to health during and after the Covid-19 pandemic, said Dr. Courtney Scott, medical director of Momentous Recovery Group. Many have started paying attention to mental health, self-care and preventative health, such as “exercise, diets and avoiding vices as a way of altruistic self-care,” he said. “Post-pandemic, many individuals have reevaluated their goals and during the pandemic, the world taught us how valuable we are.” Additionally, alcohol use has recently been linked to much higher incidences of cancer, particularly breast cancer, which has even more people considering whether it’s worth the risk.

What it means: The difference in drinking between generations comes down to cultural context, said Scott. While baby boomers grew up in an age where alcohol was an “activity for socializing,” younger generations have become more conscious of its effects. Scott noted that differences in advertising, media and general attitudes toward drinking have also played a role. Gen Z and Millennials are also more often the recipients of health education and social media influence related to sobriety, he said. “Instagram and TikTok make sobriety not only socially acceptable but also desirable,” he said.

What happens now: The movement toward sober living in recent years could signal a larger cultural shift, said Scott, indicating “a great deal of change in society regarding health and self-awareness.” Along with making people more health-conscious, the movement has sparked growth in the nonalcoholic beverage sector and an increase in “dry” spaces and social gatherings, said Scott. Experts expect non-alcoholic beer sales to grow by 3.65% in 2025 to $7.6 billion in revenue in the U.S. alone.