What percent of American's don't drink?

I was a little skeptical that people accurately reflected their drinking habits. It appears that Gallup's data is correct. Almost half of Americans don't drink!

Going Cold Turkey on Alcohol?

Gallup Polling

Nov 25, 2025

The Data: Just over half of U.S. adults now say they drink alcohol (54%), the lowest Gallup has recorded since first measuring alcohol use in 1939. This percentage is down from 62% in 2023 and 58% in 2024 and is one of only a handful of times in the trend that less than 60% have reported they drink alcohol.

Health Context: The recent decline in self-reported drinking coincides with a sharp increase in recent years in Americans' belief that moderate drinking is bad for one's health, a finding that coincides with prominent health agency reports on the risks of drinking.

What Will Americans Toast With?

The Data: Thirty percent of U.S. drinkers say they most often drink liquor, on par with wine (29%) and just behind beer (38%) in 2025. Liquor preference has risen by over 10 percentage points since 2018, closing a decades-long gap with wine.

The Trend: While alcohol use has declined, beer remains the most preferred type of drink, as it has been in most years since 1992. However, beer is not the dominant favorite that it was in the 1990s, as the preference for liquor has grown.