Currently, 51.1% of adults drink alcohol, down from a peak of 56.7% in 2014
Source: Trace One analysis of SAMHSA data
While alcohol may feel ubiquitous depending on one’s social circle or location, just over half of U.S. adults currently report drinking. In 2024—the most recent year of data available—51.1% of adults said they had consumed alcohol in the past month, according to SAMHSA’s State Estimates. This is down 5.6 percentage points from the national peak of 56.7% in 2014.
From 2003 through 2014, the share of adults who drank alcohol edged upward. But since then, the trend has moved steadily downward, with small year-to-year declines through the late 2010s and a more pronounced drop in the early 2020s. By 2024, the national rate had fallen to just 51.1%, the lowest value recorded by SAMHSA and a clear reversal of prior trends.
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Trace One just released new data showing Americans are continuing to drink less alcohol, wit…
