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%. Hard seltzers represent a 56.7% share of the total RTD category in the US, followed by flavored alcoholic beverages (FABs) (25.9% share) and ready-to-drink cocktails/long drinks (6.9%). Between 1996 and 2016, the average amount Americans spent on alcohol annually rose by $175.
How Much Do Drinkers Consume?
However, Americans’ drinking was at its highest in the early 1800s, when historians estimate the average adult drank 7 gallons of alcohol a year. In the late 1910s, Americans were drinking an average of 2 gallons of alcohol per year. Alcohol money could be used for other luxuries, which would likely deliver more lasting enjoyment. Instead of resigning themselves to more and more spending on drinking, consumers are free to invest in better sources of relief than booze.
- Learn more about the financial impact of alcohol misuse in the United States.
- Due to the nature of their work, some companies also have policies against employing drivers with DUIs such as Uber and Lyft.
- The comparison of this map with the previous maps makes clear that heavy drinking is not necessarily most common in the same countries where alcohol consumption is most common.
- Consumers are looking for a beverage made with natural ingredients and coloring for the overall beverage category.
Religiosity Also a Factor in Likelihood That People Drink
Even within the existing market share, there have been noticeable upsets that have shifted consumer tastes and preferences. Specifically, the backlash against a Bud Light advertising campaign featuring transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney pushed Modelo into the top spot among American consumers for the first time. One of the many things that enjoyed a surge in popularity during the pandemic (beyond sourdough bread and Zoom) was alcohol. From virtual cocktail hours to memeable celebrity recipes, drinking became a shared experience for many during a dark time.
Alcohol and health
While imported wines grew +2.5%, the tariffs placed upon certain EU states by the Trump administration saw growth from markets not affected by them. One area of interest was low-alcohol wines which doubled their volumes in 2020, with many major brands entering the category. 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.
Per its annual economic briefing, the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States finds the spirits category is still growing, albeit barely. While volume grew 1.2%, revenue remained mostly flat with just a 0.2% increase over the year before. The results in the chart show the increased risk of developing alcohol dependency (we show results for illicit drug dependency in our topic page on drug use) for someone with a given mental health disorder (relative to those without). For example, a value of 3.6 for bipolar disorder indicates that illicit drug dependency became more than three times more likely in individuals with bipolar disorder than those without.
U.S. consumer expenditure on alcoholic beverages 2022, by category
While none of these cities lack for establishments serving or selling liquor, residents spent less than $500 a year on drinking on average. The chart shows direct death rates (not including suicide deaths) from alcohol use disorders across the world. The death rates are typically higher in Eastern Europe and lower in North Africa and the Middle East. When we look at national averages in this way, there is no distinct relationship between income and alcohol consumption. As shown by clusters of countries (for example, Middle Eastern countries with low alcohol intake but high GDP per capita), we tend to see strong cultural patterns that tend to alter the standard income-consumption relationship we may expect. With the change country feature, it is possible to view the same data for other countries.
Gallup measures Americans’ alcohol consumption each July as part of its Consumption Habits poll — one of 12 surveys that make up the Gallup Poll Social Series. Find out how many people have alcohol use disorder in the United States across age groups and demographics. Experts say we should see more craft beers, including hazy IPAs, lower alcohol IPAs, lagers, sour beers, rose beers, and fresh hop beers. 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. 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.”
Since then, drinking in the U.S. has fluctuated, with a high in the 1970s and 1980s, when the average American drank 2.75 gallons per year. However, the number of alcohol-related deaths among women has increased by 85 percent from 1999 to 2017. For this project, we tapped into the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Expenditure Survey which is conducted each year.
Residents of Cleveland and St. Louis also spent more than 1 percent of their average income on alcohol. At $484, the average annual alcohol expenditure, a person could buy about three bottles of wine each month. Additionally, it’s worth noting that more than a quarter of Americans consume no alcohol at all. Assuming that this sober cohort spends no money on alcohol, those who do drink likely spend considerably more than $484 annually on average.
On the other hand, hourly employees don’t collect PTO when they call in sick or out of work. This daily loss of income could eventually add up the more often you do it. You may also begin suffering from mood swings or have trouble concentrating, which could lead to getting agitated more quickly. When this occurs, it can affect the people you are around, especially if you’re romantically involved with someone. Your significant other may also try and make up excuses for your drinking or improper conduct at social functions.
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. However, the combined market share is significantly lower than the market share of traditional 750 mL and larger containers. As reported by the DISCUS for 2021, the top five spirits by revenue growth were vodka (4.9%), tequila/mezcal (30.1%), American whiskey (6.7%), Brandy & Cognac (13.1%), and cordials (15.2%). While the growth rate for vodka was less than that of the other four liquors, sales by volume accounted for 78.1 million 9-Liter cases. In contrast, the sales volume for cocktails/RTDs, the next largest category, was 36.6 million cases.
Using CDC data on the average life expectancy in each state, we then found the number of drinks consumed over a lifetime on average. Finally, we used Expatistan to find the average cost of alcoholic drinks in each city in order to determine the cost of drinking over various periods of time, including a full lifetime (age 21 and up). Our calculation included the cost of two drinks “out” each week, and all remaining drinks at home.
The beer category (excluding hard seltzers and flavored alcohol beverages) is “expected to decrease by volume through 2025;” however, craft beer volumes are “expected to increase.” In fact, according to one source quoted in the article, rose, white, and sparkling wines are outpacing red wines. Looking at the costs over a lifetime reveals some pretty staggering numbers. We used each state’s average life expectancy to find the years of drinking (age 21 and over), then compared this with each city’s weekly drinking habits and cost of alcoholic drinks. The three cities that spend the most — New York, NY, Minneapolis, MN, and Miami, FL — all spend $116,000 or more on drinks over a lifetime.
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. Nearly half of both generations, 47% Gen Z drinkers and 48% https://rehabliving.net/ Millennial drinkers, consumed alcohol to relax. Slightly more Gen Z drinkers indicated that alcohol “helps me have a good time,” 49%, and “gives me a buzz,” 45%, compared to Millennial drinkers, 38 and 37%, respectively.
In a related chart, you can see the share who drink alcohol by gender and age group in the UK. When we look at gender differences, we see that in all countries, men have a higher alcohol consumption than women. Drug use disorders are often classified within the same category as mental health disorders — research and data on mental health can be found on our topic page here. Another indicator that Americans are looking for flavor was the tremendous growth of agave-based spirits finishing up +15.9% and Cognac/Armagnac logging volume gains of +20.1%. Discover how many people with alcohol use disorder in the United States receive treatment across age groups and demographics. While not exclusive to RTDs, according to Flavorman.com, 2022 beverage trends will be based on “the long-term effects of an ongoing pandemic…focus[ing] on celebrating life’s simple pleasures while striving for balance.”
Ultimately, we suspect that the American decline in religion we are witnessing is consistent with the decline in institutions and organized activities in general. For example, over this same period of study, volunteerism peaked at an average of 9.6 minutes a day in 2007 for the average American, but has declined abruptly to six minutes a day post-COVID. Labor union membership has also declined dramatically, as has political participation. The decline in participation and involvement in anything at all, is a headwind that faces not only religion, but organized activities in the U.S. in general.
Global trends on alcohol abstinence show a mirror image of drinking prevalence data. 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. The map shows heavy drinkers – those who had an episode of heavy drinking in the https://rehabliving.net/alcohol-allergies-symptoms-signs-and-treatment-for/ previous 30 days – as a share of total drinkers (i.e., those who have drunk less than one alcoholic drink in the last 12 months are excluded). Drinking is more common among younger than older adults, but this is evident only when the analysis is limited to those of legal drinking age.
Meanwhile, consumption of distilled spirits dropped slightly, from 3.0 to 2.8 gallons. 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%.
Our results reveal current and historical trends in alcohol expenditures, and which demographics burn the most cash on getting buzzed. To see how America’s drinking habits translate into dollars, keep reading. Whether for reasons of quantity or quality, drinking can get expensive quickly.