Gen X is drinking more as younger Americans cut back on alcohol consumption, study finds | Alcohol

AAlcohol consumption has declined in the United States in recent years, particularly among adults under 40, but there is an older demographic in which more people are drinking than before the Covid-19 pandemic — and more are doing so in droves, according to a new study.

For the first time since before the pandemic, the percentage of American adults who drink alcohol decreased between 2022 and 2024, according to the report in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine. People aged 50 to 64, which roughly corresponds to Generation X, are the only age group in which alcohol consumption continues to increase.

They’re probably harming their health by imbibing, according to the latest science, but they’re also helping to keep bars open. These businesses have struggled as younger generations, the lifeblood of nightlife, move away from alcohol.

People in their 50s and early 60s are those for whom “we were already most concerned about the health risks of alcohol” and for whom “we are seeing the largest increases in binge drinking,” said Dr. Brian P Lee, a hepatologist and liver transplant specialist at Keck Medicine of USC in Los Angeles and principal investigator of the study. “This combination is particularly concerning.”

During the pandemic, as people retreated to their homes, alcohol consumption increased. In 2018, 66% of American adults consumed alcohol. In 2020, this number increased to 69% and remained at this level in 2022. The percentage of people who drink heavily, defined for men as consuming more than 15 drinks per week and for women, eight drinks, also increased, from 5.1% in 2018 to 6.1% in 2020.

“The prevailing theory was that in times of stress, people increase their drinking to cope with that. We saw it with 9/11; we saw it with Hurricane Katrina,” Lee said.

In 2024, the proportion of adults who drank, 68%, remained above pre-pandemic levels but was lower than in 2022, the first decline since 2018.

The rate of binge drinking has also decreased – except for the 50 to 64 age group. In 2018, this figure was 5.6%; in 2024 it was 7.7%. Meanwhile, adults under 40 were the only group to see a decrease in the rate of binge drinking between 2018 and 2024.

The older generation “drank a lot in high school, and they continued to drink a lot,” said David Jernigan, a professor at Boston University who has studied alcohol policy for decades. “Drinking habits are established quite early in life, and the sea change simply has not reached this cohort.”

The fact that more people in this age group are drinking heavily is particularly concerning, Lee said, because the average age at which alcoholic cirrhosis begins to appear is 52 and most alcohol-associated cancers occur in people 50 or older, research shows.

“Alcohol is poison to the body,” Lee said.

For years, it was believed that a daily glass of red wine could benefit your health, but many public health groups now warn that no amount of alcohol is safe.

“The health halo around alcohol has been largely discredited, and the younger generation, particularly Gen Z, seems to be getting the health message that alcohol is actually not good for your health,” Jernigan said.

Yet this substance can act as a social lubricant. The restraint of younger crowds hurt bars, which typically relied on 20- and 30-somethings to stay out past midnight. In 2025, alcohol consumption in the United States decreased 5% from the previous year, according to beverage industry data firm IWSR.

Some establishments are therefore focusing their attention on those who drink more and retire earlier.

In 2024, Laura Baginski launched the Earlybirds Club, “a dance party for ladies who have (expletive) to do in the morning,” according to their website.

The gatherings run from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. and feature music from the 80s, 90s and 2000s. The company has sold out all upcoming events in Boston, Berkeley, California and Chicago. The company recently sold out two parties in Washington, DC at the legendary 9:30 Club, with a capacity of 1,200 people.

“Going out and having a good time is really important for mental health,” Baginski, 51, said. “Alcohol is a part of a lot of people’s experience, especially when they come in at 6 p.m. and feel a little bit, ‘I haven’t been out dancing in so long. I think I need a little liquid courage here.'”

Andrew Bochenek, owner of The Magic Bag, a music venue in suburban Detroit, said Generation X has been an important factor in his programming for 30 years.

“You would expect it to become less and less and we would try to keep up with the new generations that are coming in,” Bochenek said. “But in light of what’s happening with Gen Z and millennials not drinking as much alcohol, it’s really made us look to the Gen X crowds.”

This includes hosting a Talking Heads tribute band and “Mega 80s: The Ultimate Retro Party!”

Its alcohol sales are down about 25% since 2019, Bochenek said.

“I don’t think it’s a bad thing that (young adults) aren’t drinking. I just think for our business model and for others like us, it’s really difficult to maintain that same level of activity when you don’t have the revenue to support it,” Bochenek said.

He is, however, aware that as Generation X ages, they will be less likely to attend concerts. To reach the youngest, it is increasing its non-alcoholic drink options.

Jernigan does not accept that the viability of these bars depends on Gen

He compares concerns about bars closing due to Gen Z’s less drinking to fears over smoking bans. And yet there is little evidence to suggest that the restrictions have forced the closure of bars and restaurants.

“There are a lot of ways around this,” Jernigan said. “And frankly, industries are going to have to get used to it because the trend is downward.”