After popularizing ‘sober curious’ culture, Gen Z is boosting its booze intake in line with other generations

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

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 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

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

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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