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Study shows Gen Z no longer leading moderation charge

The study, which tracked sentiment across 15 key markets, revealed that the proportion of Gen Z of legal drinking age (LDA) who claimed to have consumed alcohol in the past six months has risen from 66% in March 2023 to 73% in March 2025. This trend is reflected in the UK too where the same period saw an increase from 66% to 76%.

Comparison of the overall drinking participation rate of all adults (78%) to that of Gen Z (73%) shows that drinking behaviour across generations is now largely consistent. Moderation is still being observed as an general pattern across generations, however.

• Read more: KAM conference - Venues ignore low and no at their peril

Other trends revealed by the study include that Gen Z are more likely to drink across a wider range of categories compared to older generation, having consumed on average over five categories in the last six months compared to just over four for Boomers.

Additionally, Gen Z are more likely to drink alcohol in on-trade venues, the report demonstrating that half of this generation reported their last drink being in this context, as opposed to just over a third for all adults.

When it comes to their moderation, Gen Z are more likely follow an ‘intermittent abstinence’ approach, i.e. totally abstaining from alcohol for certain periods as opposed to drinking lower quantities of alcohol on a given occasion. Almost 60% of Gen Z drinkers follow this approach, which compares to 40% for all adult drinkers.

IWSR COO of consumer insights, Richard Halstead, believes there needs to be a re-evaluation of the supposed generational drinking divide.

He commented: “Moderation has been a growing trend among all drinkers for several years, but the idea that Gen Z LDA+ drinkers are somehow fundamentally different from other age groups isn’t supported by the evidence.

“For instance, we know that beverage alcohol consumption correlates with disposable income, and Gen Z came of age during a cost-of-living crisis. Rising prices have been especially acute in bars and restaurants – places that appeal most to Gen Z drinkers.

“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.

“The good news for the beverage alcohol industry is that, while moderation is set to be a long-term factor, consumption is not in a tailspin. According to this evidence, much of the recent decline is cyclical, not structural – and is definitely not the ‘fault’ of Gen Z.”

• data
• alcohol consumption
• IWSR
• trends
• moderation
• gen z