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U.S. consumer expenditure on alcoholic beverages 2022, by category
Looked at another way, 17.4% of all alcohol consumed by Americans in 2021 came from wine, up from 12.0% in 1971. The share coming from beer fell from 44.6% to 42.3% during the same period, while the share coming from spirits fell from 43.5% to 40.3%. Americans’ average alcohol consumption amounts to 494 drinks per year, 9.5 drinks per week, and 1.35 drinks per day [1]. Among major metropolitan areas, San Francisco spent the most money on alcohol, both in terms of dollars spent and percentage of average income.
Alcoholic beverage preference
This is shown in the charts as the share of adults who had not drunk in the prior year and those who have never drunk alcohol. On the whole, U.S. drinkers reported consuming a modest amount of alcohol in 2022, averaging four drinks per week for all drinkers. The figure rises to six drinks per week on average for those who appear to be regular drinkers, defined as those who had at least one drink in the past week.
- Gen Zs reasons for not buying included “alcohol’s impact on their mood, level of alertness, and even image on social media.”
- This surveillance report on apparent per capita alcohol consumption in the United States is the 37th in a series of reports that examine alcohol consumption trends on a national, State, and regional basis.
- When we look at gender differences, we see that in all countries, men have a higher alcohol consumption than women.
How Much Does The Average American Drink? (2024 Best Edition)
NielsenIQ reported that growth was driven by super-premium (75cl bottle priced between $15.99 and $29.99) and ultra-premium (between $30 and $49.99) price tiers. According to Numerator, 90% of Millennials purchased alcohol during the 52-week period ending in May 2021, compared to 84% of 21 and older Gen Z shoppers. Gen Zs reasons for not buying included “alcohol’s impact on their mood, level of alertness, and even image on social media.”
Is there a difference between a heavy drinker and an alcoholic?
Among the nation’s largest racial and ethnic groups, White adults aged 18 and older (68%) are more likely than Hispanic adults (59%) or Black adults (50%) to report they drink. A review of Gallup’s longer-term data confirm that White adults have been consistently more likely than Hispanic and Black adults to drink, while the rate among the last two groups has been statistically similar. To make the trend data more precise, AEDS revises data published in previous reports when the Census Bureau revises its population estimates. This report updates the 2010–2020 population estimates using revised estimates of the July 1 resident population from the Vintage 2020 and 2021 postcensal series (Single-race Population Estimates 2022). Other formats that decreased in growth during this period included 500 mL, 1 L, and larger containers. Formats that experienced an increase in growth rate were 300 mL (28.3%), 187 mL (6.2%), 250 mL (5.8%), and other smaller containers.
But when I say I have a couple of drinks probably three nights a week, some people might think that to be quite a lot, while others would just shrug, considering that to be pretty normal. I also have to take into account that my drinking habits fluctuate depending on other things going on in my life. For instance, I started dating my boyfriend almost a year ago, and much of the time we spent together was over drinks. The average cost of alcohol per year is a particularly interesting to me, because it’s obviously not a “necessary” spending category, but at this point in my life, I know so few people who have cut it out of their lives. Among those who reported drinking, the average number of drinks consumed per week was around 3.6 for men and 1.9 for women.
Alcohol consumption – whilst a risk factor for a number of health outcomes – typically has the greatest negative impacts when consumed within heavy sessions. In contrast to the wide variations seen by income and religiosity, alcohol consumption varies only slightly by gender, with 66% of men versus 61% of women saying they ever have occasion to drink. The year saw a reversal in the volume declines from previous years seen in the wine category.
Percentage change in per capita ethanol consumption, United States, 1977–2021. U.S. consumer demand for beer continues to shift to “premium options and new and exciting alternatives” when selecting the beverage to consume off-premise. Such offerings that have garnered consumer attention include craft beers (annual production of fewer than 6 million barrels) and imported and domestic super-premium beers (which were categorized in 2012 as priced at $22 and higher per case).
This surveillance report on 1977–2021 apparent per capita alcohol consumption in the United States is the 37th in a series of consumption reports produced annually by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). Findings are based on alcoholic beverage sales data collected by the Alcohol Epidemiologic Data System (AEDS) from the States or from the National Alcohol Beverage Control Association and from various reports produced by beverage industry sources. This interactive map shows the annual famous fetal alcohol syndrome average alcohol consumption of alcohol, expressed per person aged 15 years or older. To account for the differences in alcohol content of different alcoholic drinks (e.g., beer, wine, spirits), this is reported in liters of pure alcohol per year. One of the main items highlighted in the report is the rapid ascension of the RTD market, poised to become the second-largest alcohol category in the US in terms of volume consumption by 2021. RTDs grew +62.3% by volume in 2020, led by hard seltzers, which grew +130%.
Pertaining to price, those priced at $15 and above experienced positive growth in sales compared to 2020, with the greatest growth for wines at the $25 and high price tier. Get a brief on the top business stories of the week, plus CEO interviews, market updates, tech and money news that matters to you. In fact, there are many serious side effects of excessive drinking, including liver cancer, high blood pressure, stroke and heart disease. “I think people sort of forgot all the does water flush alcohol out of urine problems [with alcohol],” William Kerr, senior scientist at the California-based Public Health Institute’s Alcohol Research Group, said. NielsenIQ indicated that Wine RTD innovation will include “wine cocktail RTDs, especially sparkling versions.” Spirits seltzers and cocktails are “driving growth,” especially those with an ABV of 5% and under and an ABV between 5.1 and 10%. Vodka was the most popular base for spirits RTDs, followed by whiskey and tequila, then rum and gin.
The ‘disease burden’ – measured in Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) – considers mortality and years lived with disability or health burden. The map shows DALYs per 100,000 people, which result from alcohol use disorders. It’s estimated that globally, around 1 percent of the population has an alcohol use disorder. At the country level, as shown in the chart, this ranges from around 0.5 to 5 percent of the population.
The National Restaurant Association suggests that “uniquely spiced cocktail rims (Tajin, togarashi, etc.)” will be trending in 2022. Hasegawa, the following are examples of beer and food pairings based on the beer’s flavor profile. Other sources indicate that more “lesser-known” European lagers like Belgian lagers, Czech lagers, and German smoked lagers will become prevalent.
The total estimated number of deaths by country from 1990 to 2019 is found here. When we look at the variance in prevalence across age groups, we see that globally, the prevalence is is alcoholism a choice highest in those aged between 15 and 49 years old. This shows the expenditure on alcohol in the United States, differentiated by where the alcohol has been purchased and consumed.