Report: Gen Z Drinking Rate Increases to 74%, While Boomers Drive Overall Decline

The current drinking rate among the worldwide Gen Z population is up eight percent from 2023 to 74 percent, while Baby Boomers posted the lowest drinking rate of all generations at 71 percent, according to a survey from market research firm IWSR. The biannual report finds that more Millennials consume alcohol than any other generation at 81 percent, with Gen X just behind at 77 percent.

IWSR, a London-based firm providing data analytics to the beverage alcohol industry, polled of-age adults on their alcohol consumption habits in 15 countries* across six continents. 76 percent of adults in the surveyed regions drink alcohol, a figure relatively consistent with three years ago (75 percent).

The majority of respondents report an active choice “to drink slightly less,” affirming consumers’ sway toward moderation. Major declines were found in reported frequency of consumption and quantity consumed on a single occasion, the study says. On average, adults who drink consume 3.9 alcoholic beverages per occasion, down from a rate of 4.4 in 2024 and 2025.

IWSR also outlines the Gen Z habits that are most influencing the beverage alcohol industry. In the last six months, 84 percent of Gen Z drinkers consumed cocktails, more so than any other generation. This generation is also most inclined to drink at on-premise accounts and to consider governmental health guidelines about alcohol consumption.

“The narrative that Gen Z is the generation of moderation is now conclusively debunked,” says IWSR president and managing director Marten Lodewijks. “While Gen Z consumers are creating new patterns for engaging with beverage alcohol, the evidence demonstrates that Gen Z consumers enjoy drinking at roughly the same levels as the rest of society.”

*Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, South Africa, Spain, Taiwan, the U.K., and the U.S.

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