Alright, let’s unpack this. It’s quite the mix, fresh from a 2022 survey[1]:
The Gender Gap in Gulp
When it comes to booze, guys generally outdrink the ladies. Think about it like this: About 54% of dudes are knocking back at least a dozen drinks a week, while only about 34% of women are hitting that mark. And it’s not just a small beer we’re talking about – it’s the whole shebang, from a casual beer to a fancy cocktail.
Age and Alcohol
Let’s get into the nitty-gritty with some age-specific stats on who’s hitting the bottle:
The Young Bloods: Starting with the younger crowd, we’ve got about 4.3 million youths aged 12 to 17 who reported drinking in the past year. That’s about 16.7% of this age group. Girls in this bracket are slightly ahead, with 18.9% admitting to drinking, compared to 14.7% of boys. Here’s the kicker – teens who start young, like before 15, are more likely to get hooked. It’s all about the brain still being in development mode.
The 18+ Scene: Moving on up to the adults, a whopping 67.4% of those aged 18 and older said they’ve had a drink in the past year. Men, as usual, are leading the charge with 69.6%, while women are close behind at 65.3%.
The Older, The Bolder: The numbers get even more interesting when we look at specific adult age ranges. While the exact stats vary, it’s clear that alcohol use is pretty widespread among different adult age groups, with some studies indicating peak drinking in the mid to late twenties, then a bit of a dip, and sometimes a rise again later in life.
Diving Into Ethnicity
67.1% of white folks over the age of 12 say they’ve had a drink in the past year. For Black or African American people, it’s 54.6%, and for Hispanic or Latino individuals, the number’s at 59.3%. These stats paint a picture of who’s sipping what across different communities.
So, that’s the overall rundown on who’s drinking. But keep in mind, these stats are courtesy of a U.S. based 2022 survey. But the world’s a big place, and drinking habits vary a lot from country to country. So, while these numbers tell us a story about American drinking culture, they’re just one piece in the global jigsaw of booze habits. We’ll be posting more articles with details around the individual segments in the future. Just remember, these are general trends and stats – everyone’s story with alcohol is unique.
[1] National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, “Alcohol Use in the United States: Demographics and Drinking Patterns,” 2022.
