How Much Does The Average American Drink? 2024 Best Edition

Other trends include using alternative barrels, such as cherry wood and acacia, to age whiskey and cask crossbreeding, which is the process of “blending whiskey from different cask types…such as bourbon barrels with…sherry or wine casks.” However, an increasing number of women have consumed alcohol in the past few years, with wine as their most preferred drink. The four types of drinkers are often categorized as social drinkers, moderate drinkers, heavy drinkers, and binge drinkers. Social drinkers consume alcohol in social settings without negative consequences, moderate drinkers have a controlled and balanced approach to alcohol, heavy drinkers exceed recommended limits regularly, and binge drinkers consume large quantities in a short period. Heavy drinkers can stop without withdrawal and are not physically dependent on alcohol.

Americans spent $583 on alcohol in 2022

Many of the risk factors for alcohol dependency are similar to those of overall drug use disorders (including illicit drug disorders). Further discussion on these risk factors can be found on our topic page on drug use. This interactive chart shows the average share of household expenditure that is spent on alcohol. Global trends on alcohol abstinence show a mirror image of drinking prevalence data.

This interactive map shows the annual 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. While Americans spent an average of $583 on alcohol in 2022, average consumer spending on alcohol varies across different metropolitan areas. According to a Gallup poll, 65% of American adults consume alcohol, with the share of drinkers climbing slightly in recent years. This growing drinking population is reflected in the consumer spending habits of some major US cities. Between 1996 and 2016, the average amount Americans spent on alcohol annually rose by how much does the average person spend on alcohol per year $175.

• While beer sales have declined, the ready-to-drink category, including premade cocktails, spirits, and hard seltzers, has experienced significant growth.
• It’s also a risk to others — through drunken driving or alcohol-fueled violence.
• The charts show global consumption of wine, first in terms of wine as a share of total alcohol consumption, and then the estimated average consumption per person.
• The top two advertising spenders among beer manufacturers in the United States in 2019 were Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev) and Constellation Brands.

Alcohol Spending Calculator

Additionally, the rise in popularity of non-alcoholic drinks, including non-alcoholic beer, wine, and cocktail beverages, has also impacted beer sales. The market for alcoholic beverages is dynamic, with beer sales declining in recent years. Conversely, new categories like ready-to-drink cocktails, spirits, and hard seltzers have experienced significant growth. Alcohol-free drinks are also gaining popularity, with sales increasing by 35% in 2023. The diverse preferences and spending patterns across different metropolitan areas contribute to the variation in average consumer spending on alcohol.

• The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted alcohol sales in the United States.
• Expenditure on alcoholic beverages at restaurants and taverns totalled $204 on average.
• Additionally, the pandemic may have led to an increase in at-home drinking, with people stocking up on alcohol during lockdowns and restrictions.
• The study’s machine-learning assessments indicated that some states might have witnessed a rise in online purchases or panic-buying of spirits and wine.

A Closer Look at Gen Z

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. When we look at gender differences, we see that in all countries, men have a higher alcohol consumption than women. This is given as the share of adults aged 15 years and older who have drunk alcohol within the previous year. As the map shows, the average per capita alcohol consumption varies widely globally. Alcohol has historically, and continues to, hold an important role in social engagement and bonding for many.

Small brewers survived the pandemic by pivoting to to-go and packaged sales. While draught beer sales dropped more than expected, packaged sales made up for some of the lost volume. However, the overall volume of beer sales did not fully recover to pre-pandemic levels, indicating that the shift to to-go sales did not systematically stick. Based on the 52 weeks ending November 5, 2022, off-premise hard cider sales decreased by 2.1%.

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. Whether for reasons of quantity or quality, drinking can get expensive quickly.

What is the average alcohol consumption among Americans?

While the average spending per person on alcohol in the United States was $583 in 2022, it’s important to note that this amount may not reflect individual spending habits, as it includes all consumers, regardless of whether they drink alcohol or not. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Americans spent an average of $583 on alcohol in 2022. For example, in 2019, average annual personal alcohol spending in 22 major metropolitan areas ranged from $512 to $1,218. For instance, Iowa, Nebraska, and North Dakota reported decreases in excessive alcohol consumption rates from 2022 to 2023, while South Dakota experienced an increase. Despite these fluctuations, the overall trend indicates a reduction in excessive drinking in a region with historically high consumption rates. The shift in consumer behaviour during the pandemic saw a rise in spirits sales, with consumers opting for higher-priced whiskey, tequila, and other spirits.

So, a value of 6 liters of pure alcohol per person per year is equivalent to 50 liters of wine. A 2017 study by the American Medical Association found that more people in the United States are drinking than ever before, with certain cities spending a lot more on alcohol than others. San Diego and Washington, D.C., are among the cities where people spend the most on alcohol.

All content on this website is for informational and educational purposes only. As of my last update, the average soda consumption in the United States was around 38.87 gallons per person per year, according to data from the Beverage Marketing Corporation. Although most American consumers drink from more than one alcohol category, some stick to only one alcoholic drink of their choice. According to the Survey of Household Spending, in 2017, the average Canadian household spent 1,098 Canadian dollars on alcohol, an increase of over 200 dollars per year since 2010. Measuring the health impact by mortality alone fails to capture the impact that alcohol use disorders have on an individual’s well-being.

The risk of an alcohol use disorder is highest in individuals with intermittent explosive disorder, dysthymia, ODD, bipolar disorder, and social phobia. The charts show global consumption of wine, first in terms of wine as a share of total alcohol consumption, and then the estimated average consumption per person. The charts show global consumption of beer, first in terms of beer as a share of total alcohol consumption, and then the estimated average consumption per person.

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 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). Heavy episodic drinking is defined as the proportion of adult drinkers who have had at least 60 grams or more of pure alcohol on at least one occasion in the past 30 days. An intake of 60 grams of pure alcohol is approximately equal to 6 standard alcoholic drinks. To make this average more understandable, we can express it in bottles of wine. Wine contains around 12% pure alcohol per volume1 so that one liter of wine contains 0.12 liters of pure alcohol.

How much money can you save by not drinking alcohol?

During the pandemic, retail alcohol sales surged, with a 20% increase from March to September 2020 compared to the previous year. This growth can be attributed to virtual happy hours and celebrity-endorsed cocktail recipes, which contributed to drinking becoming a shared experience during lockdowns. During the pandemic, Americans turned to alcohol, with drinking becoming a shared experience for many during a challenging period. The University of Buffalo’s research revealed that alcohol sales surged by 20% to 40% in some states. This increase in alcohol sales was also accompanied by a notable shift in the relationship between sales and visits to alcohol outlets. The study’s machine-learning assessments indicated that some states might have witnessed a rise in online purchases or panic-buying of spirits and wine.