More women are binge drinking, according to a report commissioned by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.
But researchers also found that males aged between 16 and 24 - who were previously the biggest drinkers of all - are now consuming less alcohol than they were a few years ago.
The research by Oxford Brookes University reveals that 15% of women now binge drink on a regular basis - a figure which has doubled since the 1990s. For men, the proportion is 23%.
Men aged between 45 and 64 are the biggest drinkers, with an average weekly consumption of 20 units.
Fewer children are consuming alcohol, the report said, but those who do are drinking more than they used to.
Researchers said the increase in female drinking was probably due to the influence of advertising, and greater financial security for women.