Lifestyle·Gen ZAfter izing ‘sober curious’ culture, Gen Z is boosting its booze intake in line with other generationsBY Marco Quiroz-GutierrezBY Marco Quiroz-GutierrezReporterMarco Quiroz-GutierrezReporterRole: ReporterMarco Quiroz-Gutierrez is a reporter for Fortune covering general news.
SEE FULL BIOGen Zers are drinking more as they get older, according to a new study.
Jose Carlos Cerdeno Martinez—Getty ImagesGen Z is drinking more alcohol than in years past, ving they are not to blame for a trend of declining alcohol sales.
The generation that ized the “sober curious” movement is now more ly than any other generation to say they are “actively choosing to drink more,” according to a study by IWSR.
The drinks data and insights vider found that overall, 73% of Gen Zers surveyed had had an alcoholic drink in the previous six months, up from 66% in 2023.
Gen Z is drinking more, and it may be a sign that they are better off.
The generation that ized “cool” sobriety and the “sober-curious” movement is now changing habits, according to a study of 26,000 respondents across 15 worldwide by drinks data and insights vider IWSR.
The survey found that, overall, 73% of Gen Zers had consumed alcohol in the past six months, compared to 66% in 2023.
The study also found that the uptick in drinking habits was especially drastic in the U.
, where 70% of Gen Z respondents said they had consumed alcohol in the past six months, compared to under half in 2023.
While Gen Z isn’t picky, choosing from, on average, five of alcohol in the past six months prior to the survey, they are slightly more ly to turn to spirits as their drink of choice.
They are much more ly to drink alcohol at a bar, or restaurant, than all adult drinkers as a whole, according to the report.
The shakeup in Gen Z drinking habits may be because its members are getting older and earning more. The oldest members of the generation are now in their mid-to-late 20s.
While many young people right out of college have struggled with finding entry-level jobs, a March report from Bank of America predicted Gen Z could be the richest generation within the next ten years, with a $36 trillion cumulative income.
Having more disposable income in hand may also mean Gen Z is putting more money toward alcohol.
More than any other generation, Gen Z respondents were more ly to answer yes to the question, “I am actively choosing to drink more,” according to the report.
And notably, the generation’s alcohol consumption is now in line with previous generations who experienced a similar uptick in drinking in their 20s. The takeaway.
While moderating alcohol consumption is a trend across all ages, Gen Z isn’t to blame for declining alcohol sales, according to Richard Halstead, IWSR’s COO of Consumer Insights.
“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,” said Halstead in a statement.
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