bar counter with drinks
Gen Z is more likely to drink in bars than other generations, said the IWSR Bevtrac survey.
(Image credit: DGLimages / iStock via Getty Images Plus)

Gen Z is known for turning up its nose at alcohol, but more young adults in this group may now be enjoying a drink, according to an international survey by drinks industry research group IWSR.

In March 2025, 73% of Gen Z adults said they had consumed alcohol in the previous six months, found the IWSR Bevtrac survey. 

That’s up from 66% when the same question was posed two years ago. IWSR said its Bevtrac survey included legal-drinking-age adults in 15 markets and defined Gen Z as up to 27 years of age. 

In the 2025 survey, 70% of Gen Z respondents in the US said they had drunk alcohol in the past six months, up from 46% in 2023.

The figure likewise rose from 66% to 76% in the UK, and from 61% to 83% in Australia.  

Across all age groups, this year’s survey found that 78% respondents claimed to have drunk alcohol in the past six months.  

That’s higher than the Gen Z total, but IWSR said this younger cohort’s drinking habits were increasingly in-line with those of other generations when in their 20s.

Yet, Gen Z is more likely to have sober interludes, or ‘engage in intermittent abstinence’, compared to other age groups.

Plus, drinking in moderation remains a major rising trend globally. 

Richard Halstead, IWSR chief operating officer of Consumer Insights, said, ‘Moderation has been a growing trend among all drinkers for several years, but the idea that Gen Z LDA+ drinkers are somehow fundamentally different from other age groups isn’t supported by the evidence.’ 

It wasn’t clear why more Gen Z adults might be consuming alcohol, although Halstead pointed to disposable income as one possible factor.

‘With every year that passes, more Gen Z drinkers are entering the workforce, and those already in the workforce are typically earning more. I think we should expect that, as their incomes rise, they will drink more often – just as Millennials did before them.’

He added, ‘While moderation is set to be a long-term factor, consumption is not in a tailspin.’  

Global wine consumption still sank to its lowest level since 1961 last year, said the International Organisation of Vine & Wine (OIV) recently.

This reflected pressure on household budgets and also long-term lifestyle shifts, said OIV, which also noted a rising trend for alcohol-free alternatives.

Chris Mercer
Chris Mercer

Chris Mercer is a Bristol-based freelance editor and journalist who spent nearly four years as digital editor of Decanter.com, having previously been Decanter’s news editor across online and print.

He has written about, and reported on, the wine and food sectors for more than 10 years for both consumer and trade media.

Chris first became interested in the wine world while living in Languedoc-Roussillon after completing a journalism Masters in the UK. These days, his love of wine commonly tests his budgeting skills.

Beyond wine, Chris also has an MSc in food policy and has a particular interest in sustainability issues. He has also been a food judge at the UK’s Great Taste Awards.