Gen Z is apparently boozing after all

Forget the alcohol, we’re dazed and confused enough after reading all the conflicting reports on one of the youngest generations’ drinking habits. The latest batch of numbers suggests that the Gen-Zers-aren’t-drinking narrative is wrong, Business Insider reported this week.

According to IWSR, a data company that tracks the alcohol industry:

• Zoomers globally now imbibe just about as much as the average adult—74% of Gen Zers have had a drink in the past six months, compared with 76% of all adults.
• That’s a significant jump from three years ago, when 66% of Gen Zers copped to drinking.
• Still, Gen Z tends to have fewer drinks than older drinkers.

Gen Z may have just gotten delayed on its way to the bar. For many young people, the pandemic interrupted the years when they would have been getting into the swing of college parties and happy hour. A high cost of living and a tough job market may have also kept cash-strapped young adults from splurging on drinks, but older Gen Zers likely have more money to spend now.

American Gen Zers may be bucking the trend: A Gallup poll found that the portion of US adults aged 18–34 who drink declined by nine points from 2023 to 2025, to roughly half. It’s possible that marijuana legalization and shifting health and socialization trends played a part.—ML