We ran a post back about 6 months ago, reporting that Gen Xers – and subsequent generations – were drinking less alcohol, embracing alternatives. Now, we hear Gen Zers are drinking just as much as their forebears did…
The latest IWSR Bevtrac survey reveals that – contrary to a round of such surveys just a few months ago – Gen Zers are drinking as much as the Boomers ever did.
Who’s that, again?
IWSR bills itself as, “trusted by the leaders of global beverage alcohol businesses as an integral part of their strategic planning and decision-making processes,” for the past 50 years. Well… This is the first I’ve heard of them. But, then again, I’m not in the alcoholic beverage industry…
But their methods certainly sound rigorous and sensible. So I’m going to go on with this post, based on their latest, Bevtrak survey of US drinking habits across all generations and demographics, around the world.
What they did
“The survey included a total sample of more than 32,000 qualified respondents spread across 19 markets,” the official news release states. “This included respondents from the 15 markets polled in previous surveys (Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, South Africa, Spain, Taiwan, the US, and the US), as well as respondents from 4 new markets: Nigeria, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam. Respondents in India and China were limited to higher income earners living in urban areas.”
For purposes of the survey, generation cohort ages were defined as: Gen Z (LDA−28), Millennials (29−44), Gen X (45−60), Boomers (61+).
I said they were rigorous!
What they found
Among the key findings of the survey:
Gen Z influence is reshaping the beverage alcohol industry
Gen Z drinking habits are distinct from previous generations.
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- More Gen Z LDA+ drinkers reported drinking cocktails in the past six months than any other generation (84%).
- Gen Z LDA+ drinkers are the most likely to heed government health guidance on alcohol (49%).
- Gen Z LDA+ drinkers were the most likely to report drinking beverage alcohol with five or more people on their last occasion (18%).
Gen Z currently accounts for 17% of the total drinking population. This figure is expected to grow as more reach legal drinking age.
Moderation is now firmly embedded in society
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- Actively choosing to drink slightly less has become the default position for the majority of drinkers in every market surveyed (with the exception of China).
- Overall participation rates in beverage alcohol across all markets surveyed remain consistent (76% as opposed to 75% three years ago).
- Meaningful declines were registered in the frequency of occasions for drinking beverage alcohol.
- The amount consumed on each occasion also declined (3.9 drinks per occasion, down from 4.4 drinks per occasion reported in 2024 and 2025).
These latest results suggest this behaviour has become a structural rather than a cyclical change, as lifestyle choice and health reasons become more important for more consumers.
A myth debunked
“IWSR President and Managing Director Marten Lodewijks said, “The narrative that Gen Z is the gen-eration of moderation is now conclusively debunked. While Gen Z consum-ers are creating new pat-terns for engaging with beverage alcohol, the evidence demonstrates that Gen Z consumers enjoy drinking at roughly the same levels as the rest of society.”
Meanwhile…
“Boomer drinking has been tailing off for several years,” Lodewijks notes. “This is typical for consum-ers as they reach their 60s and 70s. These latest Bevtrac results, however, show bigger than expected drops in Boomer drinking across all major metrics. If this trend continues, it may actually be the Boomers, not Gen Z, who deserve the title ‘generation of moderation.”
My take
The allure, social currency, and addictiveness of alcohol remain unchanged through the generations. But but the age of drinkers is determining their trends toward moderation. As is their evolving attit-udes toward booze, including where, when and how much they drink.
The post Boomer generations are so fluid in their social preferences, and so influenced by a new awareness of health and safety issues around food and beverages, that trying to compare them to previous generations may soon be like comparing apples to avocados…
~ Maggie J.