Americans have a wide variety of beverage choices: more than 500, by the US Department of Agriculture’s count. What people drink changes over time, of course, but there are some constants. Imitation milk plays a large role in childhood diets, and water is more than half of beverage consumption for both teens and adults.
The chart below shows how much of these beverages people drank on an average day between 2017 and 2020, grouped into selected categories. Hover over each dot for details.
By volume, half of overall beverage consumption was water (either bottled or unbottled). The next most popular beverages were coffee (14%), soft drinks (10%), milk (7%), and tea (7%). On an average day, the average American had 119 grams of alcohol, or about 4 fluid ounces.
Beverage consumption shifts after childhood
Milk was the top drink for children 12 and younger: it made up about 29% of all their consumed beverages, compared to 5% for adults. Bottled water ranked first for teenagers.
What’s behind the recent shift in Americans’ drinking habits? Bottled water. Between surveys conducted from 2005 to 2006 and surveys conducted from 2017 to 2020, reported consumption of bottled water rose 56%.
Americans shifted from consuming soft drinks to consuming bottled water
The rise in bottled water was offset by a decline in milk consumption, which fell by about half across all age groups. Imitation milk — including plant-based products such as soy, rice, and oat milk — is the only reason milk is still the top children’s beverage in these grouped categories. Without imitation milk, water would top the latest surveys.
Soft drinks ranked as the top beverage for teenagers in the 2005 and 2006 surveys. But they have fallen too. In the last 15 years, soft drinks consumption declined by about 60% for teenagers.
For adults, coffee and alcohol consumption have held steady
Milk and soft drink consumption have fallen for adults too. But coffee consumption — about 1.3 cups a day on average — and alcohol consumption changed little. The type of alcohol consumed shifted however, as beer and liquor declined by 18% and 23%, while wine rose by 16% and co*cktails by 375%.
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Milk and soft drink consumption have fallen for adults too. But coffee consumption — about 1.3 cups a day on average — and alcohol consumption changed little. The type of alcohol consumed shifted however, as beer and liquor declined by 18% and 23%, while wine rose by 16% and co*cktails by 375%.
The visibility of healthier lifestyles has resulted in Gen Z showing a preference for lower alcohol consumption. Social media has also helped reduce the stigma around mental health discussions, prompting Gen Z to be more cautious about their drinking habits, as they acknowledge the impact of alcohol on mental health.
Key Points. A majority of Americans consume at least one sugary drink on a given day. Overall, sugary drink consumption has decreased from its peak in 2000 but flattened in recent years.
The average person drank 2.5 gallons of alcohol in 1860, at the brink of the Civil War; 1 gallon in 1934, at the repeal of prohibition; 2.3 gallons in 1945, at the close of World War II; and 2.8 gallons in 1980, when modern-day drinking reached a historic peak.
An additional 623,000 people between the ages of 12 and 17 have alcohol use disorders. About 88,000 people die of alcohol-related causes every year in the United States. It's the third-leading cause of preventable death in the country after tobacco and poor diet and exercise choices.
Alcohol use is strongest among the older generations, including Generation X and baby boomers. While millennials drink less than previous generations, Generation Z is ushering a cultural and societal shift by drinking less, choosing not to drink, or pursuing mindful drinking.
Based on search results, water stands out as the most prevalent beverage in the American diet, constituting 50% of overall consumption, encompassing both bottled and tap water.
While water is the most frequently consumed beverage in the country, with 66% of Americans drinking it daily, coffee is close behind, with 63% of Americans having a mug of joe each morning.
Naturally, California consumes the most alcohol in raw volume with a whopping 88.6 million gallons drunk in 2021 — nearly 30 million more than runner-up Texas's 58.9 million gallons. Floridians take the bronze, with 55.2 million gallons consumed in 2021.
The 10 states with the lowest alcohol consumption levels are Utah, Maryland, Idaho, Arkansas, Kentucky, Connecticut, Georgia, New York, Oklahoma, and Washington. In terms of alcohol consumption per capita, Utah has the lowest rate of only 17.7 gallons consumed per person.
Gen Zers face greater obstacles to financial success
Inflation's recent runup has indeed made it harder for those just starting out. More than half, or 53%, of Gen Zers say higher costs are a barrier to their financial success, according to a separate survey from Bank of America.
It found that 84% of regular exercisers are working out a minimum of three times per week, with younger generations leading the way. Gen Z are the most active, with 87% of this demographic exercising three or more times per week, with Millennials trailing just behind them.
In 2024, more people are choosing not to drink alcohol, and it's becoming a big thing. New words like "no-lo" and "sober-curios" are showing up. NielsenIQ says non-alcoholic drink sales went up by 20.6% from August 2021 to August 2022. This trend started in 2020 and is getting bigger.
But climate change and global warming are not the only reasons why many Gen Z-ers have decided to avoid driving — factors such as stress and anxiety also play a role.
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