2.48 gal
2023 (latest)
ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION PER CAPITA
gallons of pure ethanol per person aged 14+, per year · 1850–2023 · lower is better · NIAAA Surveillance Report #122, Table 1
2.10 gal
1850
2.76 gal
high · 1981
0.97 gal
low · 1934
+18%
since 1850
┊ dashed lines mark 1979 Oil shock & inflation peak · 1987 Black Monday crash · 1991 Gulf War recession · 2001 Dot-com bust & 9/11 · 2008 Global financial crisis · 2020 COVID-19 pandemic
Method & caveats. Apparent consumption: beverage sales and tax data converted to gallons of pure ethanol (beer + wine + spirits) divided by the population aged 14 and older (15 and older before 1970). NIAAA's Alcohol Epidemiologic Data System; a new surveillance report each spring with a ~16-month lag.
Sources
Every value on this page is read from the publisher below. Current and historical source documents:
- https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/sites/default/files/surveillance-report122.Per-Capita-Consumption.pdf
- https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/surveillance-reports
- https://github.com/danielmiessler/substrate/tree/main/Data/US-Societal-Health
Data
| Year | Alcohol Consumption per Capita | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2.48 gal | −1% |
| 2022 | 2.51 gal | −1% |
| 2021 | 2.54 gal | +4% |
| 2020 | 2.44 gal | +3% |
| 2019 | 2.38 gal | +1% |
| 2018 | 2.36 gal | +0% |
| 2017 | 2.35 gal | +0% |
| 2016 | 2.35 gal | +1% |
| 2015 | 2.33 gal | +0% |
| 2014 | 2.32 gal | −0% |
| 2013 | 2.33 gal | −0% |
| 2012 | 2.34 gal | +2% |
| 2011 | 2.29 gal | +1% |
| 2010 | 2.26 gal | −1% |
| 2009 | 2.29 gal | −1% |
| 2008 | 2.31 gal | +0% |
| 2007 | 2.31 gal | +1% |
| 2006 | 2.28 gal | +1% |
| 2005 | 2.25 gal | +1% |
| 2004 | 2.23 gal | +0% |
| 2003 | 2.22 gal | +1% |
| 2002 | 2.20 gal | +1% |
| 2001 | 2.18 gal | −0% |
| 2000 | 2.19 gal | +1% |
| 1999 | 2.17 gal | +1% |
| 1998 | 2.15 gal | +0% |
| 1997 | 2.15 gal | −0% |
| 1996 | 2.16 gal | +0% |
| 1995 | 2.15 gal | −1% |
| 1994 | 2.18 gal | −2% |
| 1993 | 2.23 gal | −3% |
| 1992 | 2.30 gal | +0% |
| 1991 | 2.30 gal | −6% |
| 1990 | 2.45 gal | +1% |
| 1989 | 2.43 gal | −2% |
| 1988 | 2.49 gal | −2% |
| 1987 | 2.55 gal | −1% |
| 1986 | 2.58 gal | −2% |
| 1985 | 2.62 gal | −1% |
| 1984 | 2.65 gal | −1% |
| 1983 | 2.69 gal | −1% |
| 1982 | 2.72 gal | −1% |
| 1981 | 2.76 gal | +0% |
| 1980 | 2.75 gal | +2% |
| 1979 | 2.70 gal | +2% |
| 1978 | 2.66 gal | +2% |
| 1977 | 2.60 gal | −2% |
| 1976 | 2.66 gal | −0% |
| 1975 | 2.67 gal | +1% |
| 1974 | 2.65 gal | +2% |
| 1973 | 2.60 gal | +2% |
| 1972 | 2.54 gal | −2% |
| 1971 | 2.58 gal | +2% |
| 1970 | 2.52 gal | +0% |
| 1969 | 2.51 gal | +2% |
| 1968 | 2.45 gal | +3% |
| 1967 | 2.37 gal | +2% |
| 1966 | 2.32 gal | +2% |
| 1965 | 2.27 gal | +2% |
| 1964 | 2.23 gal | +4% |
| 1963 | 2.15 gal | +2% |
| 1962 | 2.11 gal | +2% |
| 1961 | 2.06 gal | −0% |
| 1960 | 2.07 gal | +0% |
| 1959 | 2.06 gal | +4% |
| 1958 | 1.98 gal | −1% |
| 1957 | 1.99 gal | −2% |
| 1956 | 2.03 gal | +1% |
| 1955 | 2.00 gal | +2% |
| 1954 | 1.96 gal | −2% |
| 1953 | 2.01 gal | +2% |
| 1952 | 1.98 gal | −1% |
| 1951 | 2.01 gal | −1% |
| 1950 | 2.04 gal | +3% |
| 1949 | 1.98 gal | +1% |
| 1948 | 1.97 gal | −3% |
| 1947 | 2.03 gal | −12% |
| 1946 | 2.30 gal | +2% |
| 1945 | 2.25 gal | +9% |
| 1944 | 2.07 gal | +13% |
| 1943 | 1.83 gal | −7% |
| 1942 | 1.97 gal | +16% |
| 1941 | 1.70 gal | +9% |
| 1940 | 1.56 gal | +3% |
| 1939 | 1.51 gal | +3% |
| 1938 | 1.47 gal | −8% |
| 1937 | 1.59 gal | +6% |
| 1936 | 1.50 gal | +25% |
| 1935 | 1.20 gal | +24% |
| 1934 | 0.97 gal | −53% |
| 1870 | 2.07 gal | −18% |
| 1860 | 2.53 gal | +20% |
| 1850 | 2.10 gal | — |
Also in Substance Use